New Delhi:
Government has rushed in six teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to combat and launch rescue and relief operations in flood-hit parts of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the Kashmir Valley.
NDRF chief O P Singh told PTI that while six teams comprising close to 500 personnel have already been deployed in the state, two other teams have been put on "standby" and are ready to be airlifted for immediate deployment in the state.
"The teams which are deployed are being dispatched to trouble spots as desired by the state administration. While we have prepared two more teams to respond to any immediate emergency, we have asked few other units to remain alert," Mr Singh, who recently took over the command of the force, said.
The teams already sent to Kashmir Valley are operating in Srinagar and Anantnag areas.
"On requisition of government of Jammu and Kashmir, two search and rescue teams of NDRF consisting of more than eighty rescuers with boats were mobilised from its nearest base at Bathinda in Punjab. One team is deployed at Gharkhal near Akhnoor in Jammu district and other is deployed at Sunderbani in Rajouri district.
"The NDRF team deployed at Sunderbani is engaged in relief operation where a bus carrying a marriage party was washed away in flash flood in Gambhir river yesterday," the NDRF headquarters said in a statement.
Flood situation has worsened in the last two days in the Kashmir Valley where river Jhelum has been flowing above the danger mark and most parts of south Kashmir, including Pulwama, Anantnag and Kulgam district have been submerged and the water level in Rambiara stream in Shopian district was also seen rising fast.
The National Disaster Response Force functions under the Union Home Ministry.