Srinagar- Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo on Monday held a detailed meeting with the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) that arrived in the Union Territory to assess the damages caused by the recent floods. The deluge affected several districts, damaging homes, infrastructure, standing crops and horticultural produce.

While no casualties were reported in the Kashmir Valley, the mountainous districts were deeply affected by flash floods, leading to the loss of human lives and extensive damage to public assets. The agriculture and horticulture sectors have also suffered heavy losses, with vast stretches of paddy fields and apple orchards bearing the brunt.

During the meeting, the Chief Secretary made a strong pitch for immediate central assistance to restore vital infrastructure such as power supply lines, water supply schemes, schools, roads, bridges and other public utilities. He underscored the need of a comprehensive safety audit of critical public infrastructure, particularly schools, healthcare facilities, bridges and roads, to ensure their resilience for their utility for continuous public use.

The Chief Secretary also sought special relief for farmers whose crops or agricultural lands were damaged due to the floods. He proposed that the Central Government bear the farmers' share of premium too under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) so that the affected growers can avail insurance cover for their crop losses.

Highlighting the issue of connectivity, he pressed for immediate directives to central road agencies to undertake swift restoration of damaged roads and support new connectivity projects in flood-hit districts that remain cut off.

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