77 houses, Masjid, shops were destroyed in massive blaze
Promises two fire stations for Marwah & Warwan
Anantnag, Oct 17:
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who took oath on Wednesday, visited Warwan on Thursday to meet families affected by a massive fire that ravaged the region two days ago, causing widespread destruction.
The fire destroyed 77 kuchha houses, 53 cattle sheds, seven shops, and a mosque, leaving 84 families in need of assistance, according to officials. Abdullah assured the residents that the government stands with them and will help them rebuild their lives. “Our responsibility is to help them rebuild. Immediate relief efforts are already underway, and further assistance is being sought from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund,” Abdullah said during his visit.
Omar said that, there is no opportunity to discuss politics at the moment, nor is there time for a long discussion. There was an incident in this area that destroyed many houses.
He expressed regret, saying, “It’s a pity that while we talk about the 21st century in other places, in Warwan, it sometimes feels like we haven’t even reached the 20th century. Mobile phones here are just for the camera because we can’t make calls. The tower company people are also making a joke of us because, though the signal shows full strength on the phone—not one or two bars, but five—when I tried to use the phone, they told me it’s just for show. There’s no actual signal.”
The Chief Minister reported a recent fire incident in Warwan that required a fire service vehicle from Anantnag, which took six and a half hours to arrive.
“The fire doesn’t wait. It doesn’t stay in one house until the fire service arrives. The fire did its job, but we couldn’t do ours. It wasn’t stopped by the fire service vehicle; people had to break into the house. If they hadn’t, nothing would have been left,” he stated.
In light of this incident, the CM announced plans to establish two fire stations in Marwah and Warwan, ensuring that, should a fire break out again, residents won’t have to wait 6-7 hours for help. He also mentioned that Warwan would be equipped with fire trucks and an ambulance.
“Necessary measures, as requested by your representatives, will be in place for future incidents. I’ve noted everything down,” he assured the community.
Meanwhile, the government has provided ₹64 lakh in financial aid to the affected families under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Reconstruction efforts will be supported through the Prime Minister Awaaz Yojna, with the CM emphasizing that housing is the priority, followed by other amenities such as bathrooms.
Earlier in the day, Omar Abdullah had tweeted about his visit to Warwan, saying, “I’ll be travelling to Warwan, Kishtwar today to meet the families whose lives have been turned upside down by this devastating fire.”
The fire, which erupted a few days ago, has left the Warwan area of Kishtwar reeling, with relief efforts ongoing to help residents recover.
