New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Jammu on Sunday to personally review the situation in the flood-hit state after over 160 people lost their lives in the worst floods that the state has witnessed in the last 60 years.
Modi held a meeting with the state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on the flood situation in the state at Jammu's Technical Airport.
The PM will hold an aerial survey in Jammu zone and is scheduled to travel to Srinagar later today.
Modi is due to travel to Srinagar later today.
Even as rains stopped in the area today, reports of at least six people being killed in Jammu's Udhampur area in landslide emerged.
At least 12,000 people have been rescued from various areas of Jammu by teams of Army and IAF till now with 184 columns (75-100 personnel each) of troops and 23 helicopters and planes of Air Force carrying out rescue operations.
In Srinagar, the commercial hub of Lal Chowk and surrounding areas were inundated and the water levels at Civil Secretariat and High Court rose to six to eight feet.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to Twitter today to assure people still stranded in the floods to not panic and that help is on the way.
He also tweeted that he has asked the Cabinet Secretary to use helicopters to evacuate people in danger.
To all of you tweeting for help/rescue we are doing our best to reach all ASAP. Please stay in the upper floors & wait for help to come 1/n
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) September 7, 2014
Also asked Cab Sec to direct Air Force to use helicopters to evacuate people most in danger, 'copters are on stand by & will be used 3/n
— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) September 7, 2014
Home Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier visited the state to take stock of situation. He also met state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and discussed the situation.
After the visit, Singh said that Abdullah himself drove the car had showed him the condition of Srinagar. He further assured the people of central government's assistance.
Soon after returning from his visit, Singh held a review meeting with Modi and apprised him of the situation.
Meanwhile, prior to the PM's visit, the PMO had tweeted, "PM will visit Jammu & Kashmir tomorrow to take stock of the situation & understand problems faced by people due to the unfortunate floods."
PM will visit Jammu & Kashmir tomorrow to take stock of the situation & understand problems faced by people due to the unfortunate floods.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 6, 2014
The PM has announced an as ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those who have been seriously injured.
Meanwhile, the situation continues to be grim in the state even as rainfall stopped today slightly improving the situation.
A red alert was sounded by the authorities on Saturday for people living near River Sindh in central Kashmir after cloudbursts and flashfloods led to increase in water level in the area.
River Jhelum has also breached embankments in several parts of Srinagar after incessant rains.
Over 2,500 villages continued to be submerged and thousands of villagers have been displaced.
(With Agency Inputs)
