Inspects damaged infrastructure, directs speedy restoration; assures relief, rehabilitation of affected families

RAJOURI, AUGUST 06: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday undertook an extensive tour of flood-affected areas in Rajouri district to assess the damage caused by the recent devastating flash floods.

Reaffirming his Government’s commitment to the affected people, he assured them that every possible assistance would be extended to ensure timely relief, rehabilitation of families and restoration of infrastructure.

During the visit, the Chief Minister called on the family of Abdul Ghani, a Jal Shakti (PHE) daily-wage worker who lost his life after being swept away by flash floods while on night duty at a water supply pumping station in Kote Behrote, Thanamandi. Expressing his heartfelt condolences, he conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved family and assured them of the Government’s full support.

At the PWD Dak Bungalow, the Chief Minister met the family of Javed Iqbal, son of Sain Khan and a resident of Kandi Budhal Block; the family of Vikas Choudhary, a resident of Panchayat Bagla in Qila Darhal Block; the family of Shahida Parveen, wife of Abdul Rehman of Bhatian village; and Pinky Singh, wife of Bablu Singh, a resident of Sunderbani. He expressed profound grief over their losses, conveyed his condolences, and assured each family that the Government would stand by them during this difficult time.

The Chief Minister later inspected the damaged Circular Road in Rajouri, where nearly 200 metres of the road was washed away in the July 19 flash floods. He also visited the flood-hit Aitey area to assess the extensive damage to residential areas, public infrastructure and local connectivity. Directing the concerned departments to expedite restoration works, he instructed them to undertake necessary protective measures to safeguard vulnerable locations against future calamities.

The Chief Minister also visited the severely affected Bela Bus Stand, where he took a first-hand appraisal of the damage to the bus stand, adjoining public infrastructure and commercial establishments. Interacting with local residents and officials, he directed the district administration to ensure the early restoration of essential services and public infrastructure.

Reiterating the Government’s unwavering commitment to the welfare of the affected people, the Chief Minister said that rehabilitation of affected families and restoration of damaged infrastructure would be taken up on priority to facilitate an early return to normalcy in the district.

The Chief Minister also visited the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, which was declared unsafe following the recent floods. He took stock of the damage caused to the building and assured that the Government would take appropriate measures to address the issue and ensure the smooth functioning of the district administration.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by MLA Rajouri Iftkhar Ahmed, MLA Budhal Javed Iqbal Choudhary, MLA Thanamandi Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Dheeraj Gupta, Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Abhishek Sharma, SSP Rajouri Gaurav Sikarwar, ADDC Rajouri Malikzada Sheraz-ul-Haq and other senior civil and police officers during the visit.

An official told GNS that the deceased has been identified as Shahmeer Ahmad Khatana, son of Abdul Rasheed Khatana, a resident of Warsun area of Kralpora.

The incident occurred during heavy rainfall in the area.

Police have taken cognizance of the incident.

Further details are awaited. (GNS)

“I’d rather make a deal because I don’t want to kill people; I do not want to kill people. But at some point, we’re gonna. We were set for the biggest attack of any attack, and we’ve hit them very hard for the last few months. But we were, we were all set for the biggest attack since World War II. And they called me, and they said, ‘Please don’t do it. Let’s talk.’ And then they don’t. They say we never said that,” Trump said, addressing his supporters in Las Vegas.

From Trump’s point of view, Iran respects the United States.

“Let’s see what happens,” the US president added.

On Sunday, Trump said he had cancelled strikes on Iran in light of a pending settlement deal, the contours of which include opening the Strait of Hormuz and agreements on the nuclear programme. The New York Times reported that the agreement provides for Iran and Oman to reach a deal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz within 60 days.

Review Relief and Rehabilitation Measures

Srinagar, Aug 06: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will visit the flood-affected areas of Rajouri on Thursday to assess the damage caused by the recent floods and landslides and review the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Official said the Chief Minister will interact with affected families to take stock of their grievances and assess the extent of losses suffered due to the natural calamity.

During the visit, he will also chair a meeting with the district administration to review the relief operations and ensure that timely assistance reaches all affected people.

The visit is part of the Chief Minister’s continued outreach to flood-hit areas aimed at monitoring restoration works and expediting relief and rehabilitation measures for those impacted by the recent adverse weather conditions.

According to Circular issued by the General Administration Department on August 5, states that officers and officials stationed in Srinagar have been asked to attend the celebrations at Bakshi Stadium, while those posted in Jammu shall attend the event at Maulana Azad Stadium.

The circular states that Independence Day is an important national event and it is the duty of every government servant to attend the function. It further mentions that any absence will be permissible only with prior permission of the immediate superior.

All Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Managing Directors and Chief Executives of Public Sector Undertakings, Corporations and Boards have been asked to ensure that all officers and officials working under their administrative control and stationed at Srinagar and Jammu attend the function at their respective venues.

Meets bereaved families in Murrah, Surankote and Arigam-Loran, expresses profound condolences

Reviews relief and rehabilitation efforts, announces 5-marla plots for families rendered landless

POONCH, AUGUST 05: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today visited the flood-affected areas of Poonch district to assess the devastation caused by the recent flash floods and cloudbursts, meet the affected families and review the relief and rehabilitation measures undertaken by the district administration.

During the visit, the Chief Minister met bereaved families in Murrah, Surankote and Arigam-Loran, expressed his heartfelt condolences and assured them of the Government’s unwavering support in overcoming the tragedy.

At Murrah, the Chief Minister visited the residence of Mohammad Latif, who tragically lost eight members of his family in the flash floods. Offering his deepest sympathies, he prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss.

In Surankote, the Chief Minister interacted with affected families and a delegation from Sangla, Darra Sangla and Lower Sangla. The delegation apprised him of the extensive damage caused to residential houses, agricultural land and infrastructure, besides the tragic loss of lives.

The Chief Minister also visited Arigam-Loran, where he met the family of Mohd Rafiq and Riaz Ahmed, who lost seven members of their family in the flash floods. He participated in Fatiha Khwani, prayed for the departed souls and conveyed his profound condolences to the grieving family.

Interacting with the affected residents, the Chief Minister patiently heard their grievances and hardships arising from the natural calamity. He assured them that the Government stands firmly with every affected family and would ensure all possible relief, rehabilitation and assistance.

Announcing a major rehabilitation measure, the Chief Minister said that families who have been rendered landless due to the disaster would be provided 5-marla plots for their resettlement.

Referring to the unprecedented nature of the disaster, the Chief Minister said it was unfortunate that cloudbursts remain difficult to predict with the existing technological capabilities. He said the Government would explore the adoption of advanced early-warning technologies to improve disaster preparedness and help minimise the loss of lives and property in the future.

Later, the Chief Minister chaired a review meeting to assess the rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures undertaken by the District Administration in the aftermath of the disaster. The Chief Minister directed officers to expedite damage assessment, ensure immediate relief and restore essential services.

He appreciated the prompt, coordinated and dedicated response of the civil administration and other agencies involved in relief operations.

He particularly commended the Deputy Commissioner, Poonch and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Poonch, for their proactive leadership and timely interventions that helped save lives and ensure swift assistance to the affected population.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Minister for Jal Shakti Javed Ahmed Rana, MLA Poonch-Haveli Aijaz Ahmed Jan, MLA Surankote Choudhary Mohammad Akram, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Dheeraj Gupta,senior district officers and other concerned officials.

Speaking to reporters after attending a BJP programme in Srinagar to mark the anniversary of the August 5, 2019 constitutional changes, Andrabi alleged that regional political parties had, under the cover of the erstwhile special status, encouraged separatism and unrest in the Union Territory for decades.

She claimed that the constitutional changes had freed Jammu and Kashmir from “bloodshed and violence” and enabled the region to move towards sustained peace, stability and development.

On the demand by some regional parties for the restoration of the special status, Andrabi said Parliament’s decision on Article 370 was final and irreversible, adding that attempts to revive the issue would not succeed.

She also said the people of Jammu and Kashmir now enjoy equal constitutional rights and opportunities as other citizens of the country and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what she described as fulfilling his promise of restoring peace and accelerating development in the Union Territory.

Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, Trump expressed optimism about negotiations, saying an announcement on the Strait of Hormuz could come “today or tomorrow.”

“A lot of progress has been made. And they called me and they said please let’s talk. They want to talk,” Trump said in response to reports that the US was seeking to announce an interim agreement on the waterway.

He also warned Iran that the strait would be reopened “very soon or they (Iran) are going to get hit very hard.”

However, Tehran swiftly dismissed those claims. Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported on Wednesday that any future agreement between Iran and Oman, which share control over the strategic waterway, “has no connection to the immediate reopening of the strait.”

“If the United States continues its violations, the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened even if Iran and Oman reach an agreement,” IRIB quoted an unnamed source as saying.

Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesperson for Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, also rejected Trump’s assessment. Speaking to the state-affiliated Mizan News Agency, he said the Strait of Hormuz would not return to its pre-war status “under any circumstances.”

“We will not accept the southern corridor that the United States sought to impose through pressure and threats,” Ghashghavi said, adding that the negotiations between Tehran and Muscat are bilateral and have “no connection” with the United States.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that talks with Oman are continuing, with discussions focused on establishing safe inbound and outbound shipping routes while protecting both countries’ sovereign rights and national security interests.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world’s crude oil normally passes, has remained effectively closed since Iran blocked commercial traffic after the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel earlier this year.

The closure also became the main reason for the collapse of the June ceasefire memorandum between Washington and Tehran. Although both sides had agreed to pause fighting while negotiating a broader settlement, renewed clashes around the strait led to the resumption of US military strikes, Iranian retaliation and an expanded regional conflict.

The standoff continues to affect global energy markets. Oil prices rose on Wednesday after earlier losses, reflecting uncertainty over the fate of the shipping route. Brent crude climbed about 1.3% to around $80 a barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose about 0.6% to $76 a barrel.

Moreover, US military stockpiles of key missile defence interceptors have been significantly depleted during the conflict with Iran, with nearly 80% of interceptors for one major air defence system already expended, CNN quoted sources familiar with the matter.

The exercise was carried out under the coordination of Police Station Sonamarg and involved personnel from the Special Operations Group (SOG) Ganderbal, the Army, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Fire and Emergency Services, the Health Department and other stakeholder agencies associated with the annual pilgrimage.

According to officials, the mock drill simulated an emergency scenario requiring a coordinated multi-agency response. The exercise assessed inter-agency coordination, communication systems, rapid mobilisation of resources, rescue and evacuation procedures, casualty management, traffic regulation and adherence to the prescribed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Officials said such exercises are being conducted on a regular basis to strengthen institutional coordination, enhance emergency response capabilities and ensure the safety and security of pilgrims as well as the general public during the annual pilgrimage.

The ongoing Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is being conducted under a multi-layered security arrangement, with civil administration, security forces and emergency services working in close coordination to ensure its smooth and incident-free conduct.