Flood-Hit Areas in Kashmir May Face Disease Threat, Says Omar Abdullah

Srinagar: Certain areas in Kashmir Valley, which has witnessed its worst floods in 100 years, could be susceptible to the outbreak of diseases, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said.

"There is no threat of disease in Jammu as the water comes, causes damages and then goes. The situation in Kashmir is such that it takes a long time for the water to collect and it takes even longer for the water to go away. There are areas in Kashmir which have been under water for 10-12 days and in such conditions, threat of diseases is high," he said.

Mr Abdullah had held a high-level meeting of officers of the civil and police administration on Monday to review the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in Kashmir region in the wake of the devastating floods in the state.

The situation is under control in the state, with the water level decreasing in the flood-hit areas and people beginning to return to their homes, an official spokesman said. But there is a need for increased supplies of relief material along with more pumps for draining out the water, the spokesman added.

Mr Abdullah is said to have stressed on the need for adequate supplies of ration and medicines and also called for urgent steps to pump out the flood waters. Heavy-duty pumps have been installed and more would be pressed into service to remove the water, he said.

Emphasis was put on the need for quickly disposing of carcasses, which the Srinagar Municipal Corporation has been directed to do, and the meeting also discussed the need for clean-up operations in the city to be intensified.

The Secretary, Health, told the meeting that medicine consignments have been received and are being distributed among the hospitals and medical camps. He added that the hospitals which were inundated during the flood have now started to function and are being monitored.