SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today held an extensive meeting with the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which arrived in the Union Territory to assess the damages caused by recent floods. The heavy rains affected multiple districts, damaging homes, infrastructure, standing crops, and horticultural produce.
While the Kashmir Valley reported no casualties, flash floods in the mountainous districts resulted in loss of lives and severe damage to public assets. The agriculture and horticulture sectors were particularly hit, with large areas of paddy fields and apple orchards suffering significant losses.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary urged immediate central assistance to restore critical infrastructure, including power lines, water supply schemes, schools, roads, bridges, and other public utilities. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive safety audit of essential public infrastructure—particularly schools, healthcare facilities, bridges, and roads—to ensure their resilience and uninterrupted public use.
He also requested special relief measures for farmers whose crops and lands were damaged, proposing that the Central Government cover farmers’ premium contributions under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), allowing affected growers to access insurance compensation.
Addressing connectivity concerns, the Chief Secretary called for prompt directives to central road agencies to restore damaged roads and support new connectivity projects in flood-affected districts that remain isolated.
He also reviewed restoration efforts in the Jammu division, first receiving a detailed briefing from the Divisional Commissioner Jammu and then seeking updates from each Deputy Commissioner on essential amenities, relief, and rehabilitation measures, focusing on connectivity, power, water, and public infrastructure.
The IMCT has already visited several of the worst-affected areas in Jammu, which bore the maximum impact of the recent floods and landslides. Over the past month, extreme weather has severely affected J&K, claiming around 150 lives and causing repeated blockages of key roads, including the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway, disrupting traffic and essential services.
