Ladakh flash floods: LG reviews situation

Leh/Jammu, Jul 22 (PTI) Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Brigadier (Retd) B D Mishra on Saturday reviewed the damage caused by flash floods in the union territory, an official spokesperson said.

He also reviewed the measures being taken to provide relief to the affected families.

Mishra was speaking at a meeting to review the flood situation, especially in Leh town.

A cloudburst triggered flash floods in Ladakh, causing debris to flow into the main market area and throwing life out of gear.

The cloudburst hit the Gangles area late on Friday night and left several parts of Leh town inundated. The debris entered many buildings in the low-lying areas, causing some damage to them, according to officials.

During the meeting, Mishra asked the deputy commissioner of Leh to ensure that boulders and sludge blocking traditional streams are cleared on priority by initiating anti-encroachment drives.

He also instructed the deputy commissioner to issue necessary directions for identifying those affected by the flash floods, including migrant labourers, and provide ration and bedding to them along with establishing a relief camp.

“There was a detailed discussion on conducting a hydrological survey along with the long-term mapping of Leh town to control the haphazard construction of houses,” the spokesperson said.

Discussions were also held for the establishment of a 24×7 control room to ensure better coordination among forces involved in relief work during a natural calamity, according to the spokesperson.

Mishra also called for recruitment of State Disaster Response (SDRF) personnel on a fast-track basis.