Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday urged the central government to announce a relief package for Jammu and Kashmir after rain-related calamities wreaked havoc across the region since August 14.
According to official statistics, apart from 11 reported deaths on Saturday, around 113 people have lost their lives in weather-related calamities over the past two weeks.
On August 14, a deadly cloudburst struck Chisoti village in Kishtwar district, killing 65 people and leaving 34 missing, while 167 others were evacuated. Days later, another cloudburst and landslide hit Kathua and Doda districts, killing 11 people and injuring four.
Similarly, one person died and another was injured in Kulgam after a cloudburst struck the region just a day after the Kishtwar tragedy. On August 26, a landslide in the Adhkuwari region killed 36 pilgrims and left 10 others injured.
Heavy rains, accompanied by landslides and flash floods triggered by repeated cloudburst incidents, have caused massive loss of life and billions in infrastructure damage across Jammu and Kashmir.
In a post on X, Mehbooba Mufti said, “The recent floods, cloudbursts and landslides have caused widespread devastation in Jammu and Kashmir, with Jammu hit the hardest. Lives have been lost, homes destroyed, infrastructure damaged, and families left with nothing.”
She said the Government of India must urgently announce a relief package similar to the one provided after the devastating 2014 floods. “This time, special attention must be given to Jammu, which has suffered the most,” she urged.
Mufti also called for a coordinated effort between the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government, saying that it is essential to ensure that the affected people are not left to fend for themselves during the current crisis.
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