STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Expressing grave concern over the damages caused to properties and household articles of people living in low-lying areas of Jammu city due to incessant rains that lashed the region, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) J&K Executive Member Raman Suri on Tuesday urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to direct the State Disaster Management officials to immediately coordinate with line departments and put in place remedial measures in the coming weeks. Suri said that a nodal officer must be appointed who can enable all line departments to coordinate, monitor monsoon rains and its effects on lives of common people and also arrange relief for those affected while ensuring safety of their lives and properties. He said, much damage has been caused to the houses and articles besides vehicles of people living in low lying areas.
The BJP leader said that livestock, people and their properties are facing a threat from monsoon rains because of several reasons including overflowing Nallahs and encroachments but at present, priority should be to save lives and arrange safe shelters for affected people even if banquet halls owned by Jammu Municipal Corporations are required to be thrown open for them.
JMC, JDA, PDD, PHE, UEED, Health and Medical Education, R&B besides Police and Civil Administration must be kept on tenterhooks to save people and their properties.
He urged the LG to constitute teams of revenue authorities who could assess losses besides put in place remedial measures on war footing to save lives. He added that industrialists, local residents, businessmen petty shopkeepers, labourers, cattle breeders and farmers have all suffered losses in the first rain that lashed Jammu. In the given conditions, all departments must be asked to stay alert and people be advised not to venture near canals, rivers and low-lying marshy areas.