Karra-led Congress team visits flood-affected Garkhal, Pargwal in Akhnoor

Jammu, Sep 8: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra along with a team of senior Congress leaders Monday undertook an extensive tour of the extreme border areas of Garkhal, Pargwal, Hamirpur in Akhnoor area to take stock of the devastation caused by rain and massive floods, uprooting and affecting large population.

Congress leaders undertook an extensive tour of the entire border belt, worst affected during the recent rains and devastating floods.

Several people had to be rescued from the area including airlifting of some tribal families from Garkhal area. Pargwal, Dhanpur and Hamirpur corner zero line near the border post were cut off, damaging the road link; the entire paddy and maize crop, fodder grass; large numbers of kachcha and thatched huts were flooded and were damaged badly.

The Congress team visited several extreme border areas and met a large number of people who came to explain their woes, apart from the destruction during the current flood, their issues and sufferings of border areas.

Karra interacted with the people at various places including a large number of women to know their hardships and demands. They aired their grievances related to water, power, road connectivity, bridges and complained about delay in the completion of the vital bridge at Indri, connecting over 20000 population.

They explained that the main reason for breach was due to illegal mining, lack of administrative reinforcement of embankment besides non laying of embankment of over 35 meters nearby tribal population. Their animals were washed away. They demanded immediate relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction besides relocations.

Karra assured to take up and highlight their genuine issues before the government in UT and at centre and press for comprehensive package from Centre to mitigate their hardships. He said that the Congress party would take up their issues with the central leadership and highlight their problems and meet their needs of life.