Anger boils over in Indian Kashmir over rescue delay
SRINAGAR, India: Anger mounted yesterday over the slow pace of rescue operations in Indian Kashmir as authorities said they were ‘overwhelmed’ by the scale of deadly flooding that has left hundreds of thousands of people stranded in India and Pakistan.
The death toll from the crossborder disaster surpassed 450 as emergency workers in both countries scrambled to rescue marooned residents in the worsthit areas.
With many parts of Indian Kashmir’s main city Srinagar still cut off days after the floods hit, stranded residents and rescuers alike criticised the state government’s response, with one military officer saying officials were nowhere to be seen.
Yesterday it emerged that one rescue officer had been wounded in an attack by furious residents earlier in the week as anger boiled over.
National Disaster Response Force director general OP Singh told the NDTV news channel an ‘aggressive crowd’ had tried to attack a rescue boat, injuring the officer.
As thousands of soldiers and other emergency workers stepped up operations in India’s Kashmir Valley, the region’s top leader said he could understand people’s anger.
“We have really been overwhelmed. We have been overwhelmed by the scale of the problem,” Jammu and Kashmir state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the CNN-IBN network late Tuesday.
“Our ability to supply people has been hampered by the fact that we have been unable to reach those areas. There are large parts of the city where even boats have not been able to reach.
“I understand their anger and I don’t grudge them on that anger. They have gone through an extremely difficult time,” he said of the rising frustrations.
More than 200 people have died in the Himalayan region’s worst floods in more than half a century.
In neighbouring Pakistan, another 256 people have been killed in the floods also triggered by days of heavy monsoon rains, with Punjab the hardest-hit area.
Nearly 600,000 people have been affected and crops damaged, the National Disaster Management Authority said.
As the floodwaters move downriver, there are fears of more inundations.
In the city of Lahore, the death toll from a mosque collapse rose to 24 yesterday, while a provisional minister said heavy monsoon rains may have been a contributing factor.
On a stretch of road in Srinagar in Indian Kashmir, hundreds of exhausted residents, some clutching children, others plastic bags of belongings, were walking to an army relief camp on higher ground in search of food and water.
Salim Nabi, his wife and two
We have really been overwhelmed. We have been overwhelmed by the scale of the problem. Omar Abdullah, Jammu and Kashmir state Chief Minister
sons, have been camped on the road for days, with only a plastic sheet for shelter, waiting for the waters to recede so they can check on their flooded house.
“The situation is absolutely pathetic. We are wondering why exactly we voted for a state government that does nothing for us,” Nabi told AFP.
Abdul Ahad Tantray has been caring for his three-year- old granddaughter for days, after his daughter handed her over to a neighbour but then became trapped herself in her house.
With no news on her fate and the waters still too high to reach the house himself, Tantray said he was helpless.
“She has been crying for her mother, ‘where is my mama’,” he said.
Local army commander Dinesh Singh said a lack of government officials on the ground was hampering the military’s rescue and relief efforts.
“The biggest problem is there that is no presence from the state government,” Singh told AFP. “We need them to organise the crowds and help with coordination on where to send the boats,” he said.
More than 400,000 people remain stranded, officials have said. Soldiers and emergency workers were still searching for those marooned as well as distributing water, biscuits, medical and other relief supplies.
Some 79 planes and helicopters have been deployed for the operations, and more than 76,800 people rescued so far, the defence ministry said yesterday.