Srinagar, Sep 22 : The J&K government said on Monday that it will approach the Centre for the swift assistance of people affected by floods in the UT.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a high-level meeting to take a comprehensive review of flood relief and restoration measures across Jammu and Kashmir.

He directed all departments to expedite their assessment so that projections for relief and restoration could be submitted to the Centre without delay.

He enquired about the funds released during the floods and was informed that in several districts, these funds have been utilised in temporary restoration works. Stressing the importance of durable solutions, he directed the Jal Shakti Department to avoid temporary fixes and instead focus only on permanent restoration of water supply schemes.

Abdullah also reviewed the safety audit of schools undertaken after the floods, calling for the certification process to be fast-tracked. Responding to rumours and misinformation circulating on social media about "deliberate delay" in the movement of fruit trucks on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway (NH-44), he instructed the Divisional Commissioners and the IGP, NH, to issue verified information promptly so that people remain updated with facts.

He was informed that slow movement has been on account of poor road conditions in certain stretches of the National Highway and not deliberate.

During the meeting, Abdullah expressed concern over damage to the historic Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex in Jammu.

Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, informed that land subsidence along the Circular Road had damaged the backside of the complex, underscoring the need for urgent protective measures.

The Chief Minister impressed upon his Council of Ministers to finalise departmental projections quickly and for district authorities to reconcile figures with departments to arrive at accurate figures so that a consolidated proposal could be submitted to the Centre for a comprehensive restoration package.

He directed officials to ensure robust preparedness, strengthen embankments and put in place effective response mechanisms to safeguard lives and property.

He further directed concerned Deputy Commissioners to submit a report regarding the admissibility of ex gratia relief in favour of the next of kin of families from J&K who lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh in the recent landslide.

Earlier, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg presented a detailed report on the impact of the floods. He informed that losses in the Kashmir division included 16 houses which were fully damaged, 57 severely damaged, and 791 partially damaged, with relief already disbursed in all cases.

Tragically, one life was lost, for which compensation has been provided, while three other deaths in related incidents in Anantnag were compensated through the Red Cross. The meeting was informed about losses to livestock, damage to cattle sheds, and compensation disbursed in these cases.

Giving details of infrastructure damage, it was informed that nearly 90 km of roads were affected across 279 road stretches, of which 52 have been restored, while the rest are under repair. Eighty-seven bridges and culverts were also damaged, with more than half already restored.

A breach in the Jhelum at Zoonipora, Shalina in Budgam, is currently being repaired. In the power sector, over Rs 9.34 crore has been proposed for the restoration of damaged poles, conductors, and transformers. Out of 563 affected water supply schemes, 385 have been fully restored, while work is underway on the rest. Safety audits have been conducted on 115 school buildings, with certificates already issued for 43 schools.

The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir gave an account of agricultural losses with more than 12,500 hectares of land affected and nearly 315 hectares in Horticulture impacted, primarily in Anantnag, Kulgam, and Pulwama districts, with estimated losses of about Rs 59 lakh. On essential supplies, the situation was reported as stable, with stocks of petrol, diesel, and LPG sufficient for several days.

Fruit transportation from Kashmir to Jammu and Delhi is progressing smoothly, with over 1.37 lakh boxes already moved.

The Divisional Commissioner Jammu presented the situation in the Jammu Division, reporting several human and heavy material losses. He said the floods claimed 150 lives, left 178 people injured, and 33 missing, with Kishtwar recording the highest casualties.

Housing losses were severe, with more than 4,200 homes fully damaged and over 8,600 partially damaged, the worst-hit districts being Udhampur and Jammu. Livestock losses stood at 1,455, and crops over 1,300 hectares were damaged.

It was informed that financial assistance exceeding Rs 40 crore has been disbursed from the State Disaster Response Fund, with an additional Rs 3.35 crore provided from the HCM Relief Fund.

Restoration work is underway across sectors, with over 2,700 km of roads and more than half of the damaged bridges already temporarily restored. Permanent restoration of roads and bridges is estimated at nearly Rs 893 crore.

The power sector was also badly affected, with over 49,000 distribution transformers hit and almost all of which have now been restored.

More than 2,000 water supply works were damaged, with around 1,600 temporarily restored, requiring nearly Rs 195 crore for permanent restoration.

The education sector also bore the brunt of the floods, with more than 8,800 schools audited for safety. Over 5,500 have been issued safety certificates, of which around 5,200 were deemed safe, while 758 were declared unsafe.

In public health, 442 water samples were tested, and over 1,500 health camps were organised, screening nearly 80,000 people. Encouragingly, no warning signs of disease outbreaks have been reported.

Chief Minister Abdullah reiterated that permanent restoration of infrastructure and restoration of livelihoods would be taken up on a war footing once a comprehensive package is approved by the Centre.

The meeting was attended by Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Ahmed Rana, Javid Ahmed Dar & Satish Sharma and Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani.

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Dheeraj Gupta, the Principal Secretary PWD, the Commissioner Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, the Secretary School Education, the Inspector General of Police, NH, Deputy Commissioners, and other officers concerned also attended the meeting. Several officials joined the meeting through virtual mode.

/IANS