Srinagar, Aug 16: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the flood-ravaged village of Chashoti in Kishtwar on Saturday to assess the damage caused by the recent cloudburst. Upon arrival, he was briefed by Indian Army personnel and used a virtual reality headset to gauge the extent of destruction.
Having reached Kishtwar Friday evening, Omar traveled by road to the affected area early Saturday. Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives and devastation, he assured the people that the government stands with them in this difficult time.
The Chief Minister announced ex-gratia relief from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund: ₹2 lakh for families of the deceased, ₹1 lakh for those severely injured, and ₹50,000 for minor injuries. For damaged houses, ₹1 lakh will be given for fully damaged, ₹50,000 for severely damaged, and ₹25,000 for partially damaged structures.
“Whatever is required to be done, we will do,” Omar told reporters after visiting the disaster-hit village. He said that immediate relief had already been distributed to families whose homes were partially or completely damaged.
“If I am not mistaken, around ₹36 lakh that the Deputy Commissioner had at his disposal has already been disbursed,” he said. The Chief Minister added that he had directed the Additional Chief Secretary to release more funds from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to enable further assistance through the district administration.
Responding to demands from locals for relocation, Omar said that such decisions cannot be taken in haste.
“There is a demand to shift residents, but we cannot issue a directive without proper assessment. What if the new location turns out to be even more vulnerable? We need experts to evaluate the safety of potential relocation sites,” he cautioned.
He suggested that the administration should explore safer sites nearby, to allow the affected population to remain connected to their homeland while reducing risk.
On regulating small religious pilgrimages, the Chief Minister said the concern was not just terrain but the rising number of yatris.
“Earlier, 100 to 300 people would undertake such yatras. Now, there are thousands. With changing weather patterns, we must consider regulation and registration,” he said.
However, he stressed that any announcement on this front must be handled with care. “Religious sentiments are involved. We will consult religious leaders and those involved in organising yatras before taking any steps,” he added.
Omar acknowledged the pain and anger of families awaiting news of their loved ones. “They have been waiting for two days. They want answers, whether their family members are alive or not. If not, they at least want the bodies, so they can perform last rites.”
He said all major agencies, the Army, NDRF, SDRF, J&K Police, and CISF, were actively engaged in the rescue efforts. “If we can’t rescue them alive, we are doing everything possible to recover the bodies and return them to their families.”
The Chief Minister underlined the growing vulnerability of the Himalayan region to extreme weather events. “All hilly states, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, are now prone to glacial lake outbursts, cloudbursts, and unpredictable weather. We need both state-level and collective national consultations with experts to understand how to mitigate such risks.”
On the latest situation, Omar said the death toll stood at around 60, with 70 to 80 people reported missing. “But the number of missing people will keep changing because some people don’t have mobile coverage or were stopped midway due to circumstances. So don’t take the number of missing people as the final number,” he said.
Describing the scale of devastation, he said the landscape had dramatically changed. “A wall of water, carrying huge boulders, swept down. This was once a river, but now it resembles a lake. Some victims may have drowned there. We’re doing everything possible to retrieve them and give their families some closure.”
He was accompanied by his Advisor NasirAslamWani, Chairman District Development Council Pooja Thakur, MLA InderwalPyarelal Sharma, MLA RambanArjun Singh Raju, former minister Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo, besides Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Inspector General of Police Jammu, Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, SSP Kishtwar, and other senior civil and police officers.
