Catastrophic Flooding Jammu and Kashmir India Sep 2014

The disaster desk was activated on September 7, 2014 following heavy rains, unprecedented floods occurred in portions of Jammu and Kashmir region. The death toll to date is reported to be between 120 – 160. Five days of incessant rains in Indian-controlled Kashmir has caused the region’s worst flooding in more than five decades, submerging hundreds of villages and triggering landslides, officials said..”ABCNews As of 7:29 Eastern 9/7 over 900 people were listed needing food shelter or rescue.

This situation report contains information about current digital response efforts, active social media accounts and synthesized data from local citizens, traditional & new media categorized into communications, medical, and urgent needs.

SitRep Contributors: Allyson, Alice, Anne, Christine, Cindy, Paras, Robin

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What Happened

Map Illustrating Jammu-Kashmir’s Flooded Areas

Map Source: India Today (09/08/14)

Map of The Jammu-Kashmir Region

Map Source: Wikipedia (09/07/14)

The following situation report contains information about current digital response efforts, active social media accounts and synthesized data from local citizens, traditional & new media categorized into communications, medical, and urgent needs.

Sept 8 Update:
On September 7, 2014 a state of emergency  was declared by the Prime Minister of India.

The last few days of rain have caused severe flooding in Jammu and Kashmir. Ten districts are heavily affected and approximately 150 casualties have been reported. In the Jammu Region, landslides have damaged homes, infrastructure and land.

Seventeen National Disaster Response Force teams (more than 200 columns of troops) for search and rescue and relief operations have been deployed.  Additional forces are also being deployed by the national authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to assist the state government in its efforts in minimizing the casualties.

The Army has evacuated approximately 15,000 people to date with assistance from the Air Force. Some 2,000 people have been temporarily displaced and are being sheltered by the Army.

The Indian Red Cross Society and Jammu and Kashmir State Branch staff and volunteers have been conducting 24/7 evacuations from houses, managing relief shelters, attending to the patients in hospitals and providing food to the displaced populations.

The Indian Red Cross Society has airlifted relief supplies to Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) from Delhi via Indian Air Force aircraft. These included tents, blankets, kitchen sets, visibility materials, windcheaters jackets and tarpaulins. Blankets, tarpaulin, gent’s dhoti,, sarees, bed sheets,, kitchen sets,) mosquito nets, and plastic buckets will be distributed tomorrow.

The rain ended today, but the flooding is expected to continue.

Sept 7 Update:

  • 2600 villages were reported to be affected in Jammu and Kashmir and
  • 390 villages in Kashmir are completely submerged.
  • 1,225 Villages are partially affected in valley and
  • 1,000 villages are affected in Jammu division.
  • All schools, colleges and offices have been shut, and electricity and drinking water supplies have been limited across the state.

Relief

  • 70 boats & 5 Rescue/Relief teams of the NDRF sent to Jammu & Kashmir f TOI.
  • Home Ministry team sent to Srinagar to monitor rescue operations CNN-IBN.
  • Rs 1,000 crore for the flood-hit Jammu & Kashmir besides a Rs 2 lakh compensation from the PM Relief Fund for the kin of the dead and
  • Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured per Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Rohit Kansal said many people were trapped in several localities. “Due to shortage of boats we have not been able to reach (some) areas yet,”

The rescue and relief to date was being carried out by local self help groups and police. According to the Mr. Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, the situation was unprecedented and worsening as flood waters moved rapidly through the city. He said boats had been brought from Delhi to help with evacuations, and the air force was beginning rescue operations in the city.Kashmir Valley witnessed the disastrous flood across majority of its districts.

National & Regional Links India National:

Government Portal for India GOI Web Directory

National Disaster Management Authority: NDMA

India Army @adgpi

PM National Relief Fund for Donations: PMRelief

Office of the Home Minister of India @HMOIndia
Prime Minister @narendramodi

Office of the Prime Minister @PMOIndia

Govt. of India, Press Information Bureau   @PIB_India 

Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India @BJPRajnathSingh

Jammu & Kashmir Relief Department: J&KRelief

Jammu and Kashmir web directory: J&K Web

Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India

Emergency Numbers Help lines in India:
Delhi: 011-24611210  011-24611108
Srinagar: 0194-2452138
Jammu: 0191-25600401

Home ministry’s control room (New Delhi)

(011) 23093054, 23092763, 23093564, 23092923, 23092885, 23093566, 23093563

Communications Local Languages Dogri, Kashmiri, Urdu

We are facing a big problem of communication (with our teams) as all links are down. We are not able to communicate in this flood-ravaged areas.” P. Singh National Disaster Response Force Chief

Over 500 satellite phones have also been dispatched to aid rescuers deployed in the Region.

Almost all private cellular networks are out and the landline telephone network has been severely affected.

Utilities
Traditional Media and blogs Press Bureau of India: PIB News

Times of India News: TOI News

India Today News: India Today

Economic Times: ET India

DNA India News: DNA News

NDTV India: NDTV

The Hindu News: The Hindu

The reuters news : Reuters

Twitter Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister: @abdullah_omar
Prime Minister of India: @narendramodi @PMOIndia
Hashtags Situational Information #J&Kfloods #JammuKashmirFloods #KasmirFloods

Relief Information #jkfloodrelief #Kashmirfloodrelief

Facebook
Geography Srinagar

Sept07: 4 Hospitals impacted, Government Children’s Hospital, Government Hospital for Children Srinagar (175 Beds), Lal Ded Hospital , HMSH Hospital (250 Beds).   Phone lines are down in many parts.  Major roads – including the one to Srinagar airport – were under water, hampering relief efforts.               http://bit.ly/1oVwwME

Commercial hub of Lal Chowk and surrounding areas were inundated Lal Chowk is a city square in Srinagar in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir.

  • Water levels at Civil Secretariat and High Court rose to six to eight feet.
  • River Jhelum breaching embankments,  flooding of residential and commercial areas
  • Airport road, Exhibition Crossing, Hari Singh High Street, Lal Chowk and Regal Chowk have been submerged under several feet of water.
  • Access to main hospitals like SMHS and Lalla Ded has been cut off due to flooding of roads.
  • Thousands of people from water-logged areas have been moved to safer places but many people have been trapped in upper stories of their homes in low-lying areas of the city, the officials said
  • Shortage of boats for rescuing people from inundated areas.
  • 100 boats being airlifted from Delhi which shall be landing here any moment,” Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Rohit Kansal said.

Jammu

Sept07: IAF Flew 15 heptor sorties from Jammu Air Station today; rescued 120 persons and ferried 12 tons of relief material. pic.twitter.com/E2ejdEheFE

This Aerial view shows a missing section of a bridge across due to flash flood Mandal flian area of Jammu on… 

http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/?p=214437

Apps
Survive
Hospitals http://www.discoveredindia.com/jammu-and-kashmir/hospitals/

www.smhs.info

Phone: +91-194-2452013

Phone: +91-194-2479063                                                      http://www.gmcsrinagar.net/asstd_hosp/smhs.htm

6 September 2014 10:39

An apex doctors’ group has set up an “emergency cell” at the SMHS hospital in Srinagar for medical help to flood victims. People can call on following cell no’s: 9419032562, 9469154840.

Doctors and paramedics are available round the clock in hospitals to help people of the valley in this natural calamity.

(Source kashmirdispatch )

7 September 2014 15:39

One C-17 Globemaster aircraft has been launched from Delhi to Awantipur with RAMT (Rapid Action Medical Team), two IL 76 aircraft with medical supplies and boats have taken off from Palam Air Force Base for Srinagar. (Source Zeenews.india.com)

7 September 2014 15:26

PRO Defence, Col S D Goswami said that 3000 people were provided medicines, 2000 people provided shelter and 3500 people provided food by Army in various places in J&K.

(Source Economictimes.indiatimes.com)

7 September 2014 17:05

One consignment of essential medicines is being airlifted on Sunday evening to meet the emergency needs. More will be supplied subsequently as required, Mr. Modi said. (Source Indiatvnews.com)

8 September 2014 02:43

Thousands of soldiers, backed by 25 helicopters and seven aircraft, have fanned out across the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the state to deliver blankets, tents and other aid, the defence ministry said in a statement late Sunday. More than 14,800 people have been rescued so far, and 50 army medical teams deployed, it said. (Source Channelnewsasia.com)

7 September, 2014 13:01

More than 100 people, including children and women, were evacuated from various villages in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir as floods, triggered by heavy downpours, caused destruction in the region. The Red Cross society along with district administration has provided tents, medical aid and food to affected families.

Source ibtimes.co.in

5 September 2014

District Red Cross Society established a relief camp for 55 rescued persons at Rajbagh (Jammu) where SDM Hiranagar and SHO Rajbagh camped for assistance to families. Ration, Biscuits, Pre-cooked foods, medicines, safe drinking water and other facilities were made available at the camp.  Source: Kashmirtimes.in

Sustain
Shelters Army has housed over 2,000 people in temporary shelters (no specific locations). (TOI News)
Reunite
Red Cross Indian Red Cross Society
http://www.indianredcross.org/

Dr. S.P. Agarwal, Secretary General; phone: +91 11 2371 6441; email: http://tinyurl.com/qfasbqm

Dams Dams in Jammu and Kashmir
http://ow.ly/Bcjs8
Airport Current Status of (SXR) Srinagar International Airport                                             http://bit.ly/1ucSpgN
Transportation, Infrastructure and Road Conditions: The Jammu-Pathankot national highway was opened today after the water level receded.
Animals in Disaster Humane Society International http://www.hsi.org/
http://www.dogsindia.com/animal_welfare_org.html
Jammu & Kashmir Animal  and Sheep Husbandry Department
Fakes &
Mistakes
Video and photos Slide show http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Jammu-Kashmir-floods-Centre-despatches-70-boats-5-NDRF-teams-IAF-evacuates-180-jawans-from-affected-border-