Omar Abdullah Visits Kishtwar, Announces Relief Amid Anger Over Delayed Searches

 Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the cloudburst-affected village of Chishoti in Kishtwar on Saturday, a day after reaching the district via the Sinthan Pass. Traveling by road to the devastated site, the chief minister was briefed by Army personnel and used a virtual reality headset to gauge the extent of the destruction.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives and widespread devastation, Abdullah assured residents that the government “stands firmly with them in this hour of tragedy.” He announced ex gratia relief from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund: ₹2 lakh for families of the deceased, ₹1 lakh for the seriously injured, and ₹50,000 for those with minor injuries. For structural damages, he promised ₹1 lakh for fully damaged houses, ₹50,000 for severely damaged ones, and ₹25,000 for partially damaged structures. He also directed officials to immediately restore essential infrastructure in the affected areas.

During his visit, Abdullah met grieving families and survivors, prayed for the departed, and pledged both immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation support. However, he was confronted by angry relatives of missing victims who accused VIP visits of slowing down search operations. “We don’t want compensation—just recover the bodies of our family members,” said Happy Singh of Jammu, whose mother and two other women have been missing since August 14. Locals alleged that machinery was halted during high-profile visits to accommodate media coverage.

Earlier in the day, BJP legislator Sunil Sharma and Union Minister Jitendra Singh also faced public anger during their visits to the site. Residents urged political leaders to stay away, arguing that their presence diverted critical resources from rescue operations. A senior police officer supervising the operations admitted that VIP movements had hampered searches, though he emphasized that treacherous terrain, deep debris, and massive boulders were already making recovery efforts extremely difficult. “At this stage, survival chances are very grim. Any live rescue would be a miracle,” he said.

Former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP canceled her scheduled visit, citing local resentment. She stressed that the immediate focus must remain on rescue and relief efforts and assured solidarity with the victims.

Multiple teams from the Army, police, NDRF, and SDRF remain deployed in the area. Officials confirmed that most of the missing or injured pilgrims belonged to Jammu, Kishtwar, and Samba districts, along with two from Uttar Pradesh.

Abdullah also highlighted the growing frequency of natural calamities in the Himalayan region, calling for expert consultation to mitigate risks. “The entire Himalayan belt is now more prone to glacial lake outbursts and cloudbursts. We must collectively consult experts to reduce the dangers,” he said, while also signaling the need for possible regulation of mountain pilgrimages in view of unpredictable weather.

The CM noted that nearly 80 people remain unaccounted for but cautioned that the number is provisional, as some may be stranded without connectivity. “Where we are standing used to be a riverbank. It has now turned into a lake. Some victims may have been swept away, and our efforts are to recover bodies for their families,” he said.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also assured full rehabilitation. “I will ensure reconstruction of homes damaged in flash floods and uninterrupted essential supplies to the affected,” he said in a statement on X.

Meanwhile, families continue to wait desperately for news of missing loved ones. Vijay Kumar of Bainagarh, Jammu, reported that eight members of his family—including four children—remain missing since the disaster. “We left for the Machail Yatra together. Nine survived, eight are gone. I appeal to the administration to find them,” he said, his voice breaking.

As rescue teams work against difficult odds, a pall of gloom hangs over villages across the region, where survivors mourn lost relatives while clinging to the hope of closure.