Srinagar: The armed forces have rescued over 1.10 lakh people in relief operations in flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir where more than 30,000 troops have been deployed along with 84 helicopters and transport aircraft of the Air Force.
"84 transport aircraft and helicopters of Air Force have been pressed into service while the Army has deployed around 30,000 troops for rescue and relief operations, in which 21,000 troops are deployed in Srinagar region and 9,000 troops in Jammu region," a Defence Ministry release said.
Keeping in view the urgent requirement of more boats in the rescue operation, Army has deployed 90 more boats in Srinagar and adjoining areas and a total of 224 boats of Army and 148 of NDRF's inflatable boats are actively involved in the rescue operation, it said.
Armed forces personnel are distributing water bottles and food packets on a large scale and 2,24,000 litres of water, 31,500 food packets and over 375 tonne cooked food have already been airdropped and distributed in the flood-affected areas.
Engineering stores including suction and submersible pumps from Vishakhapatnam and Jodhpur are also being sent to flood affected areas, the release said.
Communication equipment of Telecom Ministry, Army, BSNL and some of private companies are also being sent to restore the communication systems in the state, it said.
To restore the road connectivity, five task forces of Border Roads Organisation, which include 5700 personnel, have been pressed into service. They have restored the road connectivity from Batote-Kishtwar and Kishtwar-Sinthan Pass on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.
Meanwhile, winching operations of the Air Force had to be halted for a while after stone-pelting by the people stranded on ground, IAF officials said.
