J&K floods: More than 200 dead, 7 lakh stranded in Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir is facing its worst floods in six decades that have left nearly 200 people dead. Srinagar has practically become an island and over 7 lakh people are stranded there with many areas completely under water.

Cloudy weather in Srinagar could hamper air sorties on Tuesday. The Met Department has predicted rainfall in Jammu too on Tuesday.

In some good news, the Srinagar-Leh National Highway, connecting flood-hit Kashmir with Ladakh, was on Tuesday restored for vehicular traffic, said Army.

Heavy floods and rainfall triggered landslides in the Udhampur district of Jammu. Rescue workers pulled out seven bodies in the Pancheri area of Udhampur. But 40 people are feared trapped under the debris. Nearly 25 houses were buried in the landslide.

A team of the National Disaster Response Force and police have been airlifted to the area to undertake the rescue operation. There are constant landslides in the upper reaches of Jammu even as the water has receded in Jammu.

"Several houses have been damaged, several people are dead, some are missing. The government has not provided any help. There is no food for people who are alive," said an Udhampur resident.

It's not just locals who are stuck in the flood-hit state. A number of tourists and students are also stranded.

More than 23,000 people have been evacuated, but lakhs remain stranded. The valley is cut off as many roads have been washed away.

"Only my husband and I have been rescued. Both my sons are left behind. My house was destroyed. I was stuck on the terrace for three days," said a resident in Srinagar. "I am 60 years old and I have never seen such a situation here. This is really scary," another resident added.

The Army has deployed 215 columns for rescue and relief operations. Naval Diving Teams are also positioned on standby. The Army has said that it is aiming to restore connectivity to Srinagar in the next 4-5 days.

Communication lines have been almost totally snapped. BSNL has told CNN-IBN that communication lines will be up by Tuesday night.

Massive repair work is being carried out on the National Highway. "The houses have been destroyed because they were old. There are still many stuck there. My husband is still there. We were three families. We crossed one house at a time and reached the terrace," a Srinagar resident said.

The area in and around Srinagar's Dal Lake has also been completely flooded. A relief centre has been set up at the nearby Srinagar University. "Water level suddenly rose and entered our house. We had to take refuge in the University campus," said a survivor.

In the Jammu region, though, the Vaishno Devi yatra has resumed.

Meanwhile, help from states has also started pouring in for the flood-ravaged state. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has announced an aid of Rs 10 crore while Tamil Nadu has donated Rs 5 crore for flood relief. The United Nations too have offered to help both India and Pakistan.

Helpline numbers:

Flood Control Room No -

New Delhi J&K House (011)-24611210 and 24611108

Srinagar-0194-2452138

Jammu-0191-2560401

Home Ministry Helpline: 011-23093054, 23092763, 23093564, 23092923, 23092885, 23093566, 23093563