Flood situation grim in Kashmir, PM holds talks with Omar

The flood situation in Kashmir worsened on Sunday as many parts of Srinagar, including the Army cantonment in Badamibagh, were inundated and vital roads submerged.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi  reviewed the flood situation in Jammu region at a high-level meeting attended by chief minister Omar Abdullah and top officials.

Modi, who arrived in Jammu, held the meeting at Jammu's technical airport and was briefed by Abdullah on the devastation caused by the floods which have claimed 116 lives, officials said.
 The Prime Minister is scheduled to undertake an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas in Jammu zone, they said.

 He will later fly to Srinagar for an assessment of the damaged caused by the floods.
 The decision on the Prime Minister's visit came following a review meeting which he called after being briefed yesterday by Home Minister Rajnath Singh who returned to the national capital after surveying the flood-affected regions, the Prime Minister's Office had said in a statement.
 "After reviewing the situation, the Prime Minister decided to visit Jammu and Kashmir to personally assess the gravity of the situation and understand the problems being faced by the people," it had said.
 The cabinet secretary and Modi's principal secretary were among those who had attended the meeting.
Modi, while condoling the deaths in the flood, had on Thursday announced Rs. 2 lakh as ex-gratia relief for the kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the seriously injured.
The embankments of river Jhelum were breached at many places due to rise in water level, submerging areas like Badamibagh, Sonawar, Rajbagh, Kursu, Natipora, Nowgam and old Barzulla, officials said.
Water has also seeped into important installations like civil secretariat and high court in the heart of the city, the official said.
They said vital roads including the Airport Road, Exhibition Crossing, Hari Singh High Street, Lal Chowk and Regal Chowk have also been submerged under several feet of water.
Access to main hospitals like SMHS and Lalla Ded has been cut off due to the flooding of the roads.
Thousands of people from water-logged areas have been moved to safer places but many people have been trapped in upper stories of their homes in low-lying areas of the city, the officials said.