Assembly polls outdo Saddal landslide Victims; dozens still untraced

PS BALI

Jammu, Nov 2: In the wake of upcoming Assembly Elections, the hope of Saddal landslide survivors to find the bodies of their relatives buried under the debris has gone weary as the district administration has shifted its focus  on   poll preparations  .

According to sources, the work of extricating bodies out of debris in Saddal village of Pancheri, has witnessed sudden slow down, after the administration machinery get busy with making preparations for polls. 

  

Sources said that more than a dozen bodies are still lying under the debris and “Instead of expediting the work, the administration has given primacy to the poll preparations and arrangements,”. They said  that approach of the administration depicts, as if they have lost faith in retrieving rest of the bodies.

“The families of those who are still untraced mark their presence at ravaged site regularly with some hope, but have to return with regret,” they said. 

They added that since the Army in the area has stopped manual extrication of the bodies in view of heavy boulders amid the debris, only two bodies have been retrieved, despite using heavy machinery.

“It’s been almost a month, when ill-fated 53 families of Saddal village were slid-down, burying all houses under tones of rock and mud, but due to callous approach of the administration many remain trapped under debris,” they said, adding that few political leaders had visited the village with relief material in the beginning, but after announcement of assembly elections, nobody entered the area.

Sources claimed that earlier also civil administration was hesitant to step in for the rescue operation, saying ‘rescue operation of this scale was beyond their means’. “The civil administration had raised its hands much earlier, but Army did wondrous job of extricating bodies. And now with the onset of assembly elections, the civil administration is busy preparing for polls, despite having heavy machinery,” they said.

Meanwhile, sources in the local administration alleged that despite promise of adopting ravaged villages of Saddal and Seri for reconstruction and rebuilding purposes, the Union Minister of State in PMO, Dr Jatinder Singh ‘has not visited’ the area, since then.

Local police official, wishing anonymity, said that the police are advised to take strict care of the safety and security during elections and many police personnel had been placed into work for the purpose.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, SSP Udhampur, Mohammad Suleman Choudhary said that the work of extricating bodies is in progress. “Due to poor road connectivity, it was impossible to reach certain parts of the mud slide, which took extra time. We have recently retrieved two more bodies and work to retrieve rest is in progress,” said SSP.

When asked about the visit of Union Minister, SSP maintained distance and advised to contact civil administration.  

Pertinent to mention here that landslide, triggered by heavy rains, buried entire village of some 53 families in Panchari block of the Udhampur on September 7. Of total 41 feared trapped under debris, 28 bodies have been recovered so far.