Armed Forces set up 19 relief camps in Jammu and Kashmir

JAMMU: Armed forces have set up 19 relief camps in Jammu and Kashmir, housing at least 20,000 flood-affected people, and provisions have been made to distribute essential food items and water bottles to them.

"Armed Forces have established 19 relief camps in Srinagar and Jammu region," Army officials said.

Camps have been set up at BB Cantt, Avantipur, Old Airfield, Sumbal, Chattargam, and Zeishta Mata Mandir in Srinagar region, where 20,000-25,000 rescued people were being sheltered and provided with food and other basic amenities, they said, adding, personnel are distributing water bottles and food packets on a large scale in the flood affected areas.

So far, 2,24,000 litres of water, 2.6 tonnes of biscuits, 7 tonne baby food, and 31,500 food packets had already been air-dropped in the flood-affected areas, officials said.

As many as 8,200 blankets and 650 tents were provided to the flood victims, they said.

In an endeavour to provide speedy medical aid to the affected populace, 80 medical teams of the Armed Forces Medical Services were already operating in full swing, they said.

Till now they were able to treat more than 21,500 patients.

Relief materials including blankets, tents, water bottles and food packets are being airlifted from Hyderabad, Baroda, Golden Temple (Amritsar), Ambala and Delhi, they said.

As many as 1,237 tonnes of relief materials were dropped by the Indian Air Force, they said.

Keeping in view of their urgent requirement in the rescue operation, Army has deployed 90 more boats in Srinagar and adjacent areas, they said.

As many as 96,000 people have been rescued from flood areas of the state under operation ' Sahayata and Rahat' launched by Armed Forces in Kashmir and Jammu regions for past 10 days. Over 5 to 6 lakh people are affected by the floods in the state as four lakh still continue to be trapped in it.