Srinagar, Aug 18: In response to the scale of the tragedy, the Lieutenant Governor’s administration on Monday deployed 10 senior IAS and IPS officers for on-ground supervision of relief and rescue operations for next eight days in the cloudburst-hit Chisoti village of Kishtwar district that left 64 dead.
On August 14, flash floods triggered by the cloudburst 14 in Chisoti, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple, also left at least 116 people injured.
Eighty-two people, 81 pilgrims and one CISF personnel, are reported missing.
“In order to supervise relief and rescue operations in response to the recent tragic cloudburst, the officers, as per the roster, are hereby deputed to Chisoti in district Kishtwar,” read an order issued by Commissioner-Secretary to the Government M Raju.
Principal Secretary Home, Chandraker Bharti, and Inspector General of Police (Operations & Services) Uttam Chand will supervise operations on August 19 and 20, followed by Principal Secretary Anil Kumar Singh and IGP Sujit Kumar on August 21 and 22.
Financial Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Shaleen Kabra and IGP Suleman Chaudhary will be deployed on August 23 and 24, followed by Secretary Shahid Iqbal Choudhary and IGP Vivek Gupta on August 25 and 26.
Meanwhile, rescue and relief operations entered sixth day, with inclement weather continuing to hamper efforts.
Rescue teams, comprising the Army, CISF, NDRF, SDRF, J&K Police, BRO, civil authorities and local volunteers, are working round-the-clock using sniffer dogs, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), 20–22 JCBs, and other specialised machinery to reach remote and inaccessible areas.
Special all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) have been deployed to aid rescue operations in Chasoti village of Kishtwar district after a sudden flash flood struck the area on August 14, claiming 64 lives.
These powerful vehicles, capable of moving across rough and difficult terrain, are being used to reach remote and buried locations where people are still trapped.
Head of Production, Jaipal Singh said, “We have brought these off-road vehicles to support the army. These vehicles can move in any terrain. Many people are buried here, and some have been rescued. The capacity of this vehicle is 1200 kg. This vehicle can run in any weather.”
The Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, police, and local administration are all working together in the search and rescue mission, as efforts continue to locate missing persons and assist survivors.
The Indian Army’s White Knight Corps said five relief columns are active, with additional medical teams deployed to assist survivors.
A Bailey bridge, built by Army engineers over the Chasoti Nala on August 17 amid tough terrain and intermittent rain, has restored partial connectivity and enabled faster evacuation and supply movement.
Drone visuals from the site show widespread devastation: homes flattened, roadside markets and langar sites destroyed, three temples, four water mills, a 30-meter bridge, and over a dozen vehicles swept away.
The annual Machail Mata Yatra, which started on July 25 and was scheduled to end on September 5, remains suspended for the sixth consecutive day. Authorities, however, will allow a limited group of devotees carrying the ‘Charri’ from Jammu. The 8.5-km trek to the 9,500-foot-high shrine is still deemed unsafe.
Despite heavy rain warnings, rescue operations continue amid slippery terrain, washed-out roads, and high-risk zones. Officials have reiterated their commitment to continue efforts until all missing persons are accounted for.
–(inputs from agencies)
