Priority is to rescue people stuck in J-K floods, says NDRF DG

Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), O.P. Singh, on Monday said the priority of the forces is to evacuate the people stuck in the flood-hit areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

"There have been some areas where water-logging has taken place. Our first and foremost task would be to evacuate those people, if at all they need to be evacuated. To rescue those people who are trapped in other structures, we will be in touch with the state government," Singh told ANI.

"For last couple of days there has been continuous rain. Luckily today we have had no rain. This has given us respite to all of us. We have dispatched two NDRF teams comprising almost 95 people with all sophisticated equipments," he added.

He further informed that the NDRF personnel are carrying satellite phones with them so that if the communication breaks down they will be able to establish contact with each other.

"They are carrying boats..life-jackets. One team would be located in Srinagar and the other would be located in South Kashmir. If there are no rains then perhaps the situation would improve immediately. We have already alerted rest of our battalion," he added.

The Director General said that six teams of NDRF would be on standby and would be dispatched immediately if the state government wishes so.

Earlier in the day, the Jammu and Kashmir Government had issued a flood warning in the state after Jhelum river reached the danger mark.

Heavy rains also triggered a landslide, blocking the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Udhampur.

The Jammu and Kashmir Government has shut all schools up to class 12 for today and tomorrow in the wake of flood alert. All the university and board of school examinations scheduled for today and tomorrow have also been postponed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took stock of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir this morning and deputed Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to monitor the relief operations.

The MeT Department has predicted more rain over the next six days in the state.