J&K floods: Omar Abdullah thanks Centre, says his government will function from Thursday

SRINAGAR/JAMMU: The armed forces and the NDRF rescued over 2,34,000 flood-hit people in Jammu & Kashmir as relief efforts continued on Monday. But authorities pointed out continuing scarcity of drinking water, warning its unavailability could lead to outbreak of epidemics that could cost human lives.

Condoling the loss of 200 lives so far, the Jammu & Kashmir cabinet met under chief minister Omar Abdullah and announced it would begin functioning from the civil secretariat in Srinagar from Thursday. During the meeting, Omar thanked the central government for the support given to it in this hour of crises, an official spokesman said.

The cabinet also resolved the state government would observe no holidays on weekends, and reiterated the requirements to the Prime Minister for sanctioning relief for the flood affected people. More than 200 people have died in the worst flooding in half-a-century in the valley. Officials admitted that the figure could be higher because communication with remote areas has snapped.

Water tankers were pressed in to service for the people sheltered in relief camps in Baramulla, Sanat Nagar, Huhuman and certain areas where flood waters have started receding. A refugee in his own land, Imran Khan of Rawalpora, said, "Our locality has been without drinking water since the floods hit on September 7. One of our neighbours trying to repair the water pipe on the bank was washed away by flood waters last evening."

Muhammad Maqbool Najar of Baghwan Pora Peer Bagh drowned in Rawalpora canal last evening. In his mid-40s Najar was trying to restore water supply to his locality where taps have been dry for the past fortnight.

Medical experts expressed fears of epidemic owing to the floating carcasses of dead animals in receding flood waters. Batamaloo and Bemina are the worst hit, where carcasses are visible, said 80-year-old Ghulam Rasool Mir on phone. With stagnant infested flood waters it was impossible to wade in to it, he said. Authorities must sprinkle disinfectants, he said.

Union minister of state Jitendra Singh announced he was ready to "adopt" most ravaged villages like Saddal and Seeri for reconstruction and rebuilding purposes. He lauded the Army saying the entire nation, particularly the people of the valley, should be proud of it and shall remain indebted to it for a long time.

Singh advised the district administrations to involve representatives of various political parties in the distribution exercise, so there is no occasion for a complaint of any discrimination or favouritism in distribution of material, particularly in far flung hilly tracts of the district.