Sunil Sharma visits cloudburst-hit Rajgarh, pledges relief support
Ramban, Sep 12: Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma on Friday visited Gadigarm in the Rajgarh tehsil of the Ramban district, where five people died in a recent cloudburst, and assured bereaved families of relief, rehabilitation, and new houses under government support.
The devastating cloudburst triggered landslides and flash floods on the intervening night of August 29–30.
The natural calamity led to the complete damage of two residential houses in Nathna, Drubul, and Gadigarm villages, while several other houses and large tracts of agricultural land were also affected. Following the tragedy, district administration, police, and disaster response teams launched a large-scale rescue and search operation. Four bodies were retrieved from the debris, while the body of a woman, Bidya Devi, was still missing. Rescue efforts are underway to recover her remains.
During his visit, Sharma met with the bereaved families, offered condolences, and expressed solidarity with them. He described the incident as a grave natural calamity and assured the affected families of every possible support from the government. “Under SDRF norms, immediate assistance will be extended, and new houses will be sanctioned for the two affected families of Gadigarm,” Sharma said.
Sharma further announced that Rs 10 lakh will be released from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) through the SDRF to support the victims and compensate for the damages caused in the area.
Highlighting the broader impact of recent extreme weather, Sharma said that two unfortunate incidents in Rajgarh and Mahore underline the severity of damages caused by heavy rains across Jammu and Kashmir since August 14. He said huge losses of life and property have been reported, with families displaced and farmlands washed away.
He further informed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited Jammu on August 31 to personally assess the situation and review damages.
Additionally, a high-level delegation led by the Union Home Secretary has already visited the Union Territory for an on-ground assessment. “The central government is compiling a detailed assessment report, which will be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Soon after, a special relief and rehabilitation package will be announced for the affected families,” Sharma said.
While interacting with reporters, Sharma also shed light on the large-scale tragedy in Chasoti, Paddar, where a cloudburst caused widespread devastation. “So far, 71 bodies have been retrieved, while 31 people are still missing. NDRF and other rescue teams are tirelessly working to trace the missing persons,” he informed.
Sunil Sharma was accompanied by BJP District President Ramban Neelam Langeh and former district presidents Rakesh Sharma and Ramesh Thakur, along with senior officers of the district administration.
