J-K floods: SC establishes committee for evaluation of ground situation

The Supreme Court today formed a five-member committee for the evaluation of ground situation in the aftermath of devastating flood in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Senior Registrar of Jammu and Kashmir High Court will be heading the committee. The apex court has given two weeks time to the committee to file its report before it as well as the High Court.

Meanwhile, the state government has assured the court that the drinking water will be made available to all the flood-affected people within three days.

Unprecedented floods in the state this month have left hundreds of people dead and tens of thousands homeless.

More than 75,000 people have been affected in partly submerged homes in Srinagar, where roads have been transformed into stagnant canals strewn with wreckage, trash and dead animals.

More than 2, 00,000 people have been rescued since the floods arrived and communication networks have also been partially restored.

The army has deployed about 30,000 troops for rescue and relief operations and soldiers distributed 2, 24,000 litres of water and food to survivors.

In a gesture of solidarity, the staff at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) also gave one day's salary for flood relief.