Kashmir: Flood victims stranded

Indian and Pakistani rescue and military services have been overwhelmed by Kashmir's heaviest rainfalls in 50 years, officials admitted on Tuesday. Also devastated are regions in Pakistan, mainly Punjab.

More than 1.5 million people are affected in total. Pakistan has warned that accumulated floodwaters are moving south and could inundate the homes of a further 700,000 people in the next four days.

400,000 residents remain stranded in Srinigar, the main city of India's Jammu and Kashmir region, and in outlying villages, the Press Trust of India reported, quoting local officials. At least 60 percent of Srinigar was flooded.

Police inspector general Rajesh Kumar described the scene in Kashmir Valley as "still very grim." Retired teacher Abdul Latif Rather said he and his wife were eventually rescued by local boys using a makeshift raft.

Landslides, deforestation

Landslides have compounded the disaster by cutting road links. Kashmir's Srinigar-Leh highway was reopened on Tuesday, boosting relief work, the Press Trust said. Another highway, that normally links Jammu and Srinigar, remained closed.

Army engineers worked Tuesday to restore communication links, including telephone lines.

Environmental experts in India said deforestation in mountainous Kashmir had aggravated the flooding which began on September 3.

Test for Modi's new administration

The flooding is the first major emergency test for India's new prime minister Narendra Modi and also amounts to an extra test for Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif, who has faced weeks of protests and calls to quit.

Indian Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said a rain lull on Tuesday had enabled the deployment of more rescue teams and boats. So far, the Indian air force has air-dropped more than 500 tons of relief materials.

India's home ministry said some 47,000 people had been evacuated so far, with 61 planes and helicopters in operation. More than 260 boats had been deployed.

Contingency plans redundant

Pakistani disaster management official Saeed Qureshi said the volume of rainfall had rendered contingency plans useless.

As an example, he said Haveli, a district that straddles the de facto border, had received 400 millimeters (15.75 inches) of rain in a single day.

Indian media have accused the nation's Central Water Commission of failing to issue a flood warning last week.

The inundated Kashmir region - separated by a Line of Control - is claimed by both India and Pakistan. They have twice fought for control over the hilly Himalayan region since independence from Britain in 1947.

ipj/bw (AP, Reuters, AFP, PTI)