Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said there was no shortage of supplies in the valley despite the 250-km strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remaining blocked due to landslides and mudslides for the third day.The highway was blocked in multiple places on Sunday owing to landslides and mudslides triggered by heavy rains and cloudbursts, especially between Seri and Maroog, a nearly four-kilometre stretch which has suffered major damage.
A massive road clearance operation is underway and the chief minister said he was told by officers that they are trying to open the highway for single-lane traffic within the next 24 hours.
“There is no shortage of supplies in Kashmir… we have everything for the next three to four days,” Abdullah told reporters after chairing a meeting with officers at the office of the deputy commissioner here.
The chief minister visited the flood and landslide-hit areas in the hilly district for the second day to assess the ground situation and to meet the affected families.
“We have to keep in mind that rumours spread very fast here and so I do not want the people to start queuing outside petrol pumps (in Kashmir). That was the reason, I have asked the concerned department to send some fuel tankers through Mughal road to Kashmir to convey a message to the people that we have the means to deliver the supplies,” he said.
Asked whether he would raise the issue of massive hike in airfares to and from Kashmir after the highway closure, the chief minister said he had not paid attention to the matter yet.
“We will fix the roads, and deliver relief and supplies to people. Then we will start paying attention to the issue of airfares,” he said.Abdullah said his administration is doing a damage assessment and making arrangements to provide ration and water to the affected families.
“We will announce free ration from Jammu for the people who have suffered the most. I will prepare the documents for this as soon as possible. The deputy commissioner was asked to start a community kitchen for the people who have nothing to eat. We are also arranging water tankers,” he said.
