DC conducts whirlwind tours & directs officers to mitigate people’s suffering
Shyam Sood
Rajouri, July 8: Incessant rainfall during the intervening night of July 7 & 8 left a trail of miseries due to flash floods & water-logging in many areas in Rajouri district, especially in Rajouri Township.
The Army was called for help for the rescue of a driver of a tipper and his helper after flash floods swept away their Tipper along with them in Darhali Nallah in the vicinity of Rajouri town in the early morning hours.
Indian Army is always at the forefront in providing selfless assistance/help to local populace in case of any natural calamity or accident.
A team of Town Regiment along with a police team from Rajouri police station immediately rushed to Aitti Balla area where a JCB machine and the tipper were washed away in the flash flood and started the rescue operation.
The driver of the Tipper and his helper have been identified as Sajad Lohar s/o Mohad Aslam and Ibrar Ahmed s/o Jamal Din respectively and both were residents of village Sokar in Kotranka sub-district.
At the time of the mishap both were loading sand in the Tipper and suddenly the water level increased due to heavy downpour in the higher reaches and both were washed away in the flash floods along with Tipper
On reaching the spot, a joint rescue operation was launched by the police, SDRF, and the Army to terrace the missing driver & his helper.
“The body of the driver namely Sajad has been traced meters away from the mishap site. However, the helper was untraced till late evening and rescue teams with the help of locals made efforts to retrieve the second body” said Inspector Fareed Ahmed, SHO Rajouri.
Meanwhile, in Durga Nagar area (ward No.5 Jawahar Nagar) a BJP leader namely Dr. Garu’s family had a narrow escape when the house was partially damaged in the landslide.
Reports of water logging were also received from Kheora area of Rajouri town where the flood waters entered the shops & residential complexes due to unauthorised construction along a small rivulet passing through the area.
A Tempo was washed away in the flash floods in Kotranka town in the district and was badly damaged.
To assess the losses caused due to last night’s incessant rainfall, Vikas Kundal, Deputy Commissioner along with district officers conducts a whirlwind tour of the district on Friday.
He directed the senior officers to arrange all requisite men and machinery at vulnerable spots, besides taking measures to tackle challenges from the prevailing weather situation to prevent loss of life and property.
