Over 226,000 rescued in flood-hit Kashmir

The armed forces and the NDRF have rescued over 226,000 flood-hit people in Jammu and Kashmir as relief efforts continued in the state Monday.

The defence ministry, however, warned that water-borne diseases could break out as the flood waters recede.

More than 200 people have died in the worst flooding in half a century in the Kashmir Valley. Officials admit that the figure could be higher because communication with remote areas has snapped.

A defence ministry statement said the demand for filtered water had gone up all over Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the valley.

Twenty RO (reverse osmosis) plants with a capacity to filter four lakh litres a day and four RO plants with a capacity to filter one lakh litres a day were being sent to Srinagar, the statement said.

Besides water purifying tablets and water filtration plants, heavy duty suction and sewage pumps were also being flown to Srinagar.

"Generator sets have been sent to Srinagar to augment continuous power supply in relief camps and field hospitals.

"Additional communication equipment of BSNL are being dispatched to restore the communication systems in the state."

More than 508,000 litres of water and over 1,054 tonnes of food packets and cooked food have already been distributed in the flood-affected areas.

Rescuers have also distributed 8,200 blankets and 1,572 tents.

Besides 80 medical teams, four army field hospitals have been established. Till now they had treated around 53,082 patients.

Additionally, two additional fully equipped field hospitals with laboratory testing equipment facility have been established in Srinagar.

A rapid action medical team from the air force had been deployed at Avantipur and Srinagar.

More relief materials including tents, water bottles and food packets were being airlifted from Delhi and Amritsar.

So far, 80 transport aircraft and helicopters of the Indian Air Force and Army Aviation Corps have been pressed into service.

The army has deployed around 30,000 troops for rescue and relief work.

A total of 2,451 sorties have been undertaken by the helicopters and aircraft of armed forces, and 3,435 tonnes of relief materials have been dropped by the air force.

Some 220 army boats and 148 inflatable boats of the National Disaster Response Force are involved in rescuing people still marooned in flood waters.

To restore road connectivity, some 5,700 personnel of the Border Roads Organisation have been pressed into service.