Chairs high-level meet on flood relief & restoration   SRINAGAR, SEPT 22: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday chaired a high-level meeting in Srinagar to comprehensively review the ongoing relief and restoration efforts across Jammu and Kashmir following the recent floods. Stressing the urgency of the situation, the Chief Minister directed all departments to expedite their damage assessments and finalise proposals to be submitted to the Government of India for a comprehensive relief and restoration package. The meeting was attended by several ministers, including Sakina Itoo, Javed Ahmed Rana, Javid Ahmed Dar, and Satish Sharma, along with Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani. Senior officials including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Dheeraj Gupta, departmental secretaries, Divisional Commissioners, and Deputy Commissioners from both Jammu and Kashmir divisions participated, with some joining virtually. The Chief Minister emphasised the need for permanent, long-term solutions rather than temporary measures. He specifically instructed the Jal Shakti Department to focus solely on durable restoration of water supply schemes, avoiding short-term fixes that would not withstand future climatic stress. He was also briefed on the funds released during the immediate aftermath of the floods, with many districts having already utilised them for temporary restoration works. In view of social media rumours about alleged delays in the movement of fruit trucks on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), the Chief Minister called for greater transparency and regular communication from authorities. He directed the Divisional Commissioners and the Inspector General of Police (NH) to promptly issue verified updates to counter misinformation. Officials clarified that the slow movement was due to poor road conditions along certain stretches of the highway, not administrative inefficiency. The meeting also discussed the impact of the floods on heritage sites, particularly the damage to the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex in Jammu. Officials informed the Chief Minister that land subsidence along Circular Road had caused structural damage to the rear of the historic site. Omar Abdullah called for urgent protective measures to prevent further degradation. The Chief Minister further instructed Deputy Commissioners to submit detailed reports regarding the admissibility of ex-gratia relief to families from J&K who lost their lives in the recent landslides in Himachal Pradesh. He reiterated that both infrastructure restoration and livelihood rehabilitation must be pursued vigorously once financial support is secured from the Centre. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg, presented a detailed status report. In the Kashmir division, 16 houses were reported fully damaged, 57 severely, and 791 partially damaged. Relief has already been disbursed in these cases. One person lost their life, for which compensation was provided, while three other deaths in Anantnag district were compensated through the Red Cross. Damages were also reported in the livestock sector and to cattle sheds, with compensations disbursed accordingly. On the infrastructure front, nearly 90 kilometres of roads across 279 stretches were affected. Of these, 52 have been restored while work is ongoing on the rest. Eighty-seven bridges and culverts were also damaged; more than half have already been repaired. A critical breach in the Jhelum River at Zoonipora, Shalina in Budgam district is under active repair. The power sector sustained damages estimated at over ₹9.34 crore, with repairs to poles, conductors, and transformers underway. Of the 563 affected water supply schemes, 385 have already been restored. School infrastructure was also reviewed, with safety audits conducted on 115 buildings. Certificates have been issued for 43 schools deemed safe for use. In the agriculture sector, more than 12,500 hectares of land were affected, while horticultural losses affected nearly 315 hectares, mainly in Anantnag, Kulgam, and Pulwama districts. Estimated losses in the sector stand at ₹59 lakh. The essential supplies situation was reported to be stable, with adequate stocks of petrol, diesel, and LPG. Fruit transportation to Jammu and Delhi is progressing smoothly, with more than 1.37 lakh boxes already shipped. Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, briefed the meeting on the situation in the Jammu division, which bore the brunt of the disaster. The floods resulted in 150 deaths, 178 injuries, and 33 people reported missing. Kishtwar district recorded the highest number of casualties. Housing losses were extensive, with over 4,200 homes fully damaged and more than 8,600 partially damaged, with Udhampur and Jammu among the worst-hit districts. Livestock losses stood at 1,455, while agricultural losses were reported across more than 1,300 hectares. The meeting was informed that financial assistance amounting to over ₹40 crore has already been disbursed from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), while an additional ₹3.35 crore was released from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Restoration efforts are underway across all sectors. Over 2,700 kilometres of roads and more than half of the damaged bridges have been temporarily restored. Permanent restoration of roads and bridges is estimated to cost nearly ₹893 crore. The power sector, too, faced severe disruptions, with over 49,000 distribution transformers affected—most of which have now been restored. More than 2,000 water supply systems were damaged, with around 1,600 of them temporarily restored. Permanent restoration will require an estimated ₹195 crore. The education sector also reported significant impact, with over 8,800 school buildings undergoing safety audits. More than 5,500 schools were issued safety certificates, including around 5,200 that were declared safe, while 758 were found unsafe and require further intervention. Public health authorities have tested over 440 water samples and organized more than 1,500 health camps, screening nearly 80,000 people. No disease outbreaks have been reported so far. Reiterating the need for swift and coordinated action, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah instructed all departments to finalise their projections without delay and reconcile data with district authorities. He emphasised that once the Centre approves the financial package, permanent infrastructure restoration and livelihood rehabilitation must be taken up on a “war footing.” “This is not just about rebuilding what was lost,” Omar Abdullah said. “It’s about ensuring that we rebuild stronger, safer, and more resilient to future disasters.”