Life remains crippled in flood hit occupied Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: Life remained crippled for the seventh consecutive day as floods have created havoc across the territory. Officials told media that over 220 people have died across the Kashmir Valley alone during the past nine days.

They said that death toll was likely to increase as the water would recede in the coming days. A top police officer said that bodies were trapped beneath debris.

“The scale of the disaster would only become clear once the water recedes,” he added.

People have lost properties worth crores. There is no idea about how many people have died. Many houses have collapsed roads have cracked essentials (including medicines) have disappeared from the markets and hospitals have become defunct.

The worst hit areas in Srinagar include Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, Mehjoor Nagar, Lal Chowk, Maharaja Bazar, Jehangir Chowk, Rambagh, Natipora, Nowgam, Batamaloo, Bemina, Qammerwari, Lawaypora and Narbal.

Vehicles have run out of fuel as there is no petrol diesel and kerosene available in the fuel stations.

Offices schools banks and business establishments are closed. People are finding it hard to cope with life as they are facing the worst ever crisis which occupied Kashmir has witnessed during the past over 60 years.

Mobile phones not working for nearly four days added to the woes of people as they lost contact with their kith and kin. Thousands of people have abandoned their houses and are on the roads.

At many places across the Srinagar city relief camps have come up where local mohalla committees are arranging free langars to ensure that survivors don t starve. In some areas electricity has been restored but water supply plants have become defunct and people are facing acute shortage of drinking water.

Locals told media men that the puppet administration was seen nowhere. Ghulam Qadir of Barzulla Srinagar said that it was unfortunate that the puppet authorities were nowhere and had left the people on Allah s mercy. One can see a few helicopters hovering in the sky and making rounds of the city for the past many days.

Indian Air Force (IAF) is claiming that it is carrying out a massive relief operation in the flood hit areas. However locals are not happy and claim that the Indian government and the puppet authorities have failed to come for their rescue.