Over 1,42,000 people rescued in flood-hit J&K so far

Over 1,42,000 people have been rescued from the flood-ravaged parts of Jammu and Kashmir so far, as the relief operations launched by the Armed forces entered the 12th day today.

Thirteen tonnes of water purifying tablets and six water filtration plants with a capacity to filter 1.2 lakh bottles per day has already reached Srinagar, a defence spokesperson said.

Suction pumps and other engineering equipment from Vishakhapatnam have also reached the flood affected areas for relief work, he said. In addition, twelve sewage pumps from Delhi have also been dispatched to the Valley.

The spokesman said the communication equipment of Department of Telecommunication, Army, BSNL and some private companies have also been dispatched to restore the network.

Also, thirty generator sets of 3 to 5 KVA capacity have been sent to Srinagar to provide continuous power supply in relief camps and field hospitals, he added.

Besides these, as many as 8,200 blankets and 1,119 tents have been provided to the flood victims, he said. Furthremore, 80 medical teams of the Armed Forces Medical Services are already operating in full swing.

Four field hospitals have been established in Avantipur, Pattan, Anantnag and Old Airfield where medical aid is being provided to the ailing people, he said, adding that till now, they have treated more than 22,500 patients.

Military medical services from Bathinda have also been shifted to Srinagar, he said, adding that about 10 tonnes of medicines and other health care materials, including a mobile oxygen generation plant, have reached Srinagar from Delhi.