Jammu: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday reviewed the situation following a recent cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very concerned over the tragic incident and is personally monitoring the relief and rehabilitation measures.
Singh also visited the survivors undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College hospital Jammu and lauded the doctors for saving precious lives.
He was accompanied by Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.
The defence minister said his plan to visit the cloudburst-hit area could not materialise due to inclement weather and a fresh landslide on the road enroute.
Flash floods triggered by the cloudburst struck Chisoti, the last motorable village enroute the Machail Mata temple, on August 14, killing 65 people, mostly pilgrims, and leaving more than 100 injured.
A large-scale search operation is underway for 32 people reported missing by their families after the tragedy.
After landing here from Delhi, Defence Minister Singh went straight to the hospital to meet the 16 people undergoing treatment there. He was briefed by a team of doctors on the condition of the patients.
Briefly talking to reporters before leaving the hospital for Raj Bhavan, Singh said, “The prime minister is very concerned and is monitoring the situation. I had planned to visit the spot but couldn’t due to inclement weather and a landslide (at Pathernaki)… We are now going to the Raj Bhavan where we will talk to the (affected) people through video-conferencing.”
Lauding the doctors for taking good care of those admitted to the hospital after the incident, the defence minister said the injured people are recuperating satisfactorily.
At Raj Bhavan, he reviewed the situation in the affected village via video-conferencing and said it is heartening to note that the Union Territory administration, Army, NDRF, SDRF and police have done excellent work during the crisis situation.
Later, in a post on X, Singh said, “Due to inclement weather, I could not go to the cloudburst affected areas of Kishtwar today. Reviewed the situation at Chisoti from Jammu, via video conferencing facility.”
The review meeting was attended by Union minister Jitendra Singh, LG Sinha, and senior Army and police officers, among others.
“Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the Central Government is leaving no stone unturned in providing relief and rehabilitation to those who have been affected by this tragic incident,” the defence minister said.
Meanwhile, a BJP spokesperson said Leader of Opposition in J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma briefed the defence minister about the scale of damage to life and property through video-conferencing from the scene of the incident.
Sharma highlighted the scale of damage to life, property, agriculture, horticulture, and livestock, and apprised Singh of the role of voluntary organizations who have been working tirelessly alongside the administration.
The BJP spokesperson said that after listening patiently to all the concerns and demands raised by the legislator, the defence minister approved on-the-spot construction of the motorable Bailey bridge at Chisoti, directed immediate steps for improving mobile connectivity, sanctioned an Army Goodwill School, and gave directions for a petrol pump at Padder to meet the long-standing demand of the local people.
The defence minister issued clear and firm directions that there should be no compromise in relief measures and that every affected family must feel the support of the government in this difficult time, the spokesperson said.
The BJP said Singh also assured that the government will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Padder not only in providing immediate relief but also in ensuring long-term infrastructural development and disaster preparedness.
