J&K floods: States offer aid

Army soldiers unload relief materials from an Indian Air Force's helicopter before distributing them to flood victims, at an army camp near Reasi, northwest of Jammu on Tuesday.

The Bihar, Odisha and Uttarakhand governments on Tuesday announced financial aids to the flood-ravaged state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi announced Rs10 crore for relief works for the flood-affected people in Jammu and Kashmir, besides supply of dry ration and boats.

“It has been decided to give Rs 10 crore assistance to Jammu and Kashmir from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund as token support to the disaster management in the flood-hit state,” Mr. Manjhi said.

“The state government will also rush dry ration and boats to the state for rescue and relief works,” he said.

Similarly, announcing an assistance of Rs five crore from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for flood ravaged Jammu and Kashmir, the Odisha Government on Tuesday said trained personnel are ready with equipment to undertake rescue and relief operations in affected areas.

“The Government of Odisha has extended an assistance of Rs five crore from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for relief and restoration works in the flood hit areas of Jammu and Kashmir,” a release from Chief Minister’s office said.

“On behalf of the people of Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has conveyed his deep sorrow for the people of Jammu & Kashmir affected by the recent floods in which a number of valuable lives have been lost, and there has been extensive damage to property,” it said.

Patnaik expressed his condolences for the bereaved families.

A team of 40 trained personnel of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) is ready with all required rescue equipment, boats and submersible pumps to be pressed into service for undertaking rescue and relief operations in the affected areas, it said.

Uttarakhand also extended its hand to the flood-ravaged state. The state government on Tuesday offered expertise, logistics and a financial assistance of Rs 10 crore for the flood-hit people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Announcing this at a press conference here, Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar said Uttarakhand is the first state to make an offer like this to the flood-ravaged state.

Apart from the financial assistance of Rs 10 crore, Uttarakhand is also providing rafts to J&K to rescue people from marooned areas and submersible pumps installed in its hydel projects to flush out water from submerged regions, he said