Anger boils over in Indian Kashmir over flood rescue delay

As parts of Indian Kashmir’s main city Srinagar still cut off days after the floods hit, stranded residents and rescuers alike criticised the state government’s response.

Kashmir submerged by floodwater as seen from an Indian Air Force helicopter during rescue and relief operations in Dal Lake in Srinagar on September 10, 2014. Tauseef Mustafa/AFP Photo

SRINAGAR, India // Anger mounted over the slow pace of rescue operations in Indian Kashmir as authorities said they were “overwhelmed” by the scale of flooding that has left hundreds of thousands of people stranded in India and Pakistan.

The death toll from the cross-border disaster passed 450 on Wednesday as rescuers in both countries scrambled to reach marooned residents in the worst-hit areas.

With many parts of Indian Kashmir’s main city Srinagar still cut off days after the floods hit, stranded residents and rescuers alike criticised the state government’s response.

One military officer said state officials were nowhere to be seen.

“The biggest problem is there that is no presence from the state government,” said Dinesh Singh, a local army commander. “We need them to organise the crowds and help with coordination on where to send the boats.”

A rescuer was wounded earlier in the week as residents’ anger boiled over and an “aggressive crowd” tried to attack a rescue boat, said the director general of the National Disaster Response Force, O P Singh.

Mr Singh said efforts were being hamstrung by communication failures, with some phone networks still knocked out.

“It’s the breakdown of communication which is causing problems. We are using wireless sets,” Mr Singh said.

As thousands of soldiers and other emergency workers stepped up operations in India’s Kashmir Valley, the region’s top leader said he could understand people’s anger.

“We have really been overwhelmed. We have been overwhelmed by the scale of the problem,” said Jammu and Kashmir state chief minister Omar Abdullah.

“Our ability to supply people has been hampered by the fact that we have been unable to reach those areas. There are large parts of the city where even boats have not been able to reach.

“I understand their anger and I don’t grudge them on that anger. They have gone through an extremely difficult time.”

More than 200 people have died in the Himalayan region’s worst floods in more than half a century.

In neighbouring Pakistan, another 256 people have been killed in the floods also triggered by days of heavy monsoon rains, with Punjab province the hardest-hit area.

Nearly 600,000 people have been affected and crops damaged, the Pakistan’s disaster management authority said.

As the floodwaters move downriver, there are fears of more inundations.

In the city of Lahore, the death toll from a mosque collapse rose to 24 on Wednesday, while a provisional minister said heavy monsoon rains may have been a contributing factor.

On a stretch of road in Srinagar in Indian Kashmir, hundreds of exhausted residents, some clutching children, others plastic bags of belongings, were walking to an army relief camp on higher ground in search of food and water.

Salim Nabi, his wife and two sons, have been camped on the road for days, with only a plastic sheet for shelter, waiting for the waters to recede so they can check on their flooded house.

“The situation is absolutely pathetic. We are wondering why exactly we voted for a state government that does nothing for us,” Mr Nabi said.

More than 400,000 people remain stranded, officials said. Soldiers and emergency workers are still searching for those marooned as well as distributing water, biscuits, medical and other relief supplies.

About 79 planes and helicopters have been deployed for the operations, and more than 76,800 people rescued so far, India’s defence ministry said on Wednesday.

* Agence France-Presse