JAMMU: As many as 224 residential houses were damaged in the recent cloudbursts in the Marwah and Warwan sub-divisions of the Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir, on August 26, an official said on Sunday.
Of the 224 houses, approximately 50 were destroyed, 140 were severely damaged, and the remaining houses suffered partial damage, the official spokesman mentioned, as Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Pankaj Sharma, along with Senior Superintendent of Police Naresh Singh, visited the affected villages.
The spokesman noted that around six to seven locations across Marwah and Warwan were hit by cloudbursts, which also damaged roads and bridges.
During his visit to the severely affected Margi village, Sharma directed the Revenue Department, SDRF, and other teams to prioritise the clearing of debris from around the houses, the spokesman said.
In light of the ration stocks that were washed away and were meant to last through November, the deputy commissioner instructed the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to provide a month’s worth of rations to the affected families on an urgent basis, which was provided on the spot.
Relief material from the Red Cross was also distributed among the people, the spokesman said.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Departments were asked to assess losses of crops and fruit trees to ensure due compensation to farmers, the official noted, adding that the deputy commissioner also reviewed the loss of cattle, as 45 animals were buried under debris.
On his directions, tractors and labourers were immediately arranged, and work for the proper disposal of the carcasses began to prevent the spread of diseases in the village, the spokesman said.
Veterinary doctors were also summoned to vaccinate and treat the surviving animals.
The deputy commissioner directed the Public Health Engineering Department to restore the damaged water pipelines and ensure a safe drinking water supply to the affected families, the spokesman said.
Responding to public demands, Sharma assured that a team from the Hydraulic and Irrigation Flood Control Department would soon visit the area to establish long-term protective measures.
Additionally, the deputy commissioner and the SSP held a public darbar in Nowapachi, where locals raised concerns regarding health, education, irrigation, and other issues, the spokesman said.
Sharma assured the community that the district administration would make every effort to provide relief, rehabilitation, and safety measures for the families affected in Marwah and Warwan.–(PTI)
