In his second visit to the affected area in as many days, the chief minister assessed the ground situation and met with the affected families.
Abdullah said the road clearance operation along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is going on at a war footing and officers have assured him that the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir with rest of the country will be restored for single-way traffic within next 24 hours.
“The first priority of the administration was to save the lives of the people trapped in their homes and vehicles, which was successfully done. The second priority is to restore the blocked roads to restore connectivity and for that machinery has been deployed and I was assured that the highway will be opened for single-way traffic by 24 hours which will be followed by clearing the massive sludge in other areas,” he told reporters.
Haq Chaudhary) has been directed to provide immediate relief under Red Cross norms to the affected families and when the recovery work is over, we will make assessments to provide relief under SDRF and NDRF norms. We will also approach the Centre to declare Ramban as 'disaster zone'. I am fully confident that the Centre will provide us with the required assistance,” Abdullah said.
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The natural calamity has claimed the lives of three persons, while causing extensive damage to residential structures, vehicles, and critical road infrastructure.
The chief minister, accompanied by his political advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, flew in a helicopter to Chanderkote area of Ramban this morning and immediately left for landslide-hit Seri to assess the situation.
Deputy Commissioner, Ramban was seen briefing the chief minister as he moved on foot and met the affected families.
The chief minister made an impromptu stop during his visit to Ramban market to meet a group of residents, who had halted his motorcade, seeking urgent assistance following the devastating cloudburst that damaged their homes.
“I am here to listen to your concerns and assure you that we will do everything possible to help you rebuild your lives,” the chief minister stated.
Among the crowd, an agitated woman said,“Our house was washed away in the cloudburst, but nobody from the administration has provided any help so far. If the government won't listen to us, then who will? We chose them, and it is their responsibility to provide us relief.”
The atmosphere was charged as protesters chanted,“Fulfill our demands”.
Another resident highlighted the ongoing distress within the community, indicating that the administration has yet to offer any relief or restore essential services such as electricity and water supply to the affected areas.
In an apparent reference to the protest, Abdullah said this was the third time that senior ministers in the administration visited Ramban to review the situation and supervise the rescue and relief measures.
“On day one (Sunday), deputy chief minister along with two MLAs concerned toured the district. On Monday, I came by road from Srinagar and today I am here again to ensure that the restoration work is done as fast as it could be,” he said.
Indirectly blaming local BJP leaders for the protest, Abdullah said,“I would like to request a BJP candidate moving around here to do this type of politics in Delhi rather than here. Instead, he should seek a special package from the Centre.”
The chief minister also said that many people complained that blocking of culverts during highway construction works was the main reason for the tragedy.
“I will reach out to Union Transport minister Nitin Gadkari and bring him here along with National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officers to make a fresh review of the highway for its stabilization,” he said.
He said highway contractors have to ensure that people do not have to pay for their wrong decisions.“This road is built for our comfort and if this road proves to be harmful to us, what is the use of this road?”
Besides meeting the victim families, Abdullah also chaired an officers meeting at the office of the deputy commissioner.
On Monday, the chief minister drove from Srinagar to the worst-hit Maroog-Kela Morh stretch along the highway which remained closed for the third consecutive day on Tuesday.
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