Jammu, 26 July (H.S.): Senior Congress leader Shahnawaz Choudhary on Sunday urged the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir government to declare the widespread rain-induced damage in the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri a natural calamity.

Calling the scale of disaster unprecedented, Choudhary, President of the Poonch District Congress Committee (DCC), was disappointed that neither Chief Minister Omar Abdullah nor Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had visited the affected areas to assess the ground situation or offered condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.

Chaudhary, former AICC secretary, also demanded that the Centre and the UT government announce a special relief package for the affected families.

The people of the Pir Panjal region feel abandoned at a time when they need the government's support the most, Choudhary said addressing a press conference in Surankote, the worst-hit area of Poonch district, which accounted for the majority of the 18 rain-related deaths reported in the district since July 19. Five persons are still missing.

Besides the loss of lives, hundreds of families have been rendered homeless, more than 100 houses have been completely damaged, over 200 houses have suffered partial damage, while around 18 families have lost their land and became landless, leaving them without any source of livelihood, he said.

He said the existing SDRF compensation norms are wholly inadequate to address the losses suffered by the victims.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar