Rajouri, July 22: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Tuesday visited the flood-affected Bella area of Rajouri district to assess the damage caused by recent flash floods and review the ongoing rescue, relief and restoration efforts.

During the visit, he inspected the affected areas, interacted with officials and field personnel, and directed them to expedite restoration works, including the clearance of damaged road stretches and revival of essential services to restore normalcy at the earliest.
Later, the Deputy Chief Minister chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the progress of relief operations and the preparedness of various departments. He instructed all concerned agencies to work in close coordination and ensure the speedy restoration of public services while extending timely assistance to affected families.
Officials informed the meeting that the district administration, along with SDRF, NDRF, Police, the Indian Army and other departments, has been carrying out rescue and restoration operations on a war footing. Of the four persons initially reported missing, three bodies have been recovered, while search operations are continuing to trace the remaining missing person.
Reviewing infrastructure restoration, Choudhary directed the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to improve drainage along NH-144A and accelerate road repairs, stressing that scientific drainage management is essential to prevent future damage.
The meeting was informed that 157 PMGSY roads were damaged in the floods. The Deputy Chief Minister instructed PWD, PMGSY and BRO authorities to restore connectivity on priority and repair damaged infrastructure without delay.
Officials of the Jal Shakti Department informed that 131 water supply schemes had been affected and drinking water is currently being supplied through tankers until normal services are restored. They also reported that of the 150 affected power feeders, all except 30 had been restored, with the remaining expected to be made operational by the evening.
Choudhary also reviewed the availability of essential commodities and directed the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department to prevent hoarding and black marketing while ensuring uninterrupted supply of ration and other essentials, particularly to stranded labourers and vulnerable families. Officials informed him that dry ration kits and packed food are being distributed in the affected areas.
The meeting further noted that 76 Irrigation and Flood Control schemes had sustained damage. The Deputy Chief Minister directed the department to prepare a comprehensive flood protection plan for the Bella area to minimise the impact of future disasters.
Taking serious note of delays in road repairs during the defect liability period, Choudhary ordered the identification and blacklisting of contractors who failed to fulfil their contractual obligations.
He also reviewed the assessment of losses in the agriculture, horticulture and education sectors, directing officials to complete a transparent and comprehensive survey to facilitate timely relief and rehabilitation.
Appreciating the coordinated response of the district administration and rescue agencies, the Deputy Chief Minister commended officials and field teams for their dedicated efforts and called for continued coordination to ensure early restoration of normalcy and effective rehabilitation of the affected population.