Farooq Abdullah calls for relocation of families hit by Ramban flash floods

National Conference supremo Farooq Abdullah on Monday called for relocation and rehabilitation of the families affected by the flash floods triggered by heavy rain and cloudbursts that caused widespread devastation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district.Calling it a “national disaster”, he urged the Centre to step in and provide immediate assistance to the affected people.The landslide-hit Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for a second consecutive day, with a senior National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official saying the road clearance operation, underway at 20 locations, was likely to take about six days,Hundreds of vehicles were left stranded on the strategic 250-kilometre highway after Sunday’s heavy rainfall and cloudbursts triggered flash floods, landslides and mudslides in the district,Three persons, including two minor siblings, were killed and more than 100 people were rescued as the natural calamity caused massive damage to infrastructure, including roads and residential buildings. A number of vehicles were also buried under the debris.This is a very big disaster — it is actually a national disaster. Entire villages have been affected. Three people have died and we are still uncertain about the full extent of the damage. I hope the government of India and the prime minister will provide maximum assistance and support to these people,” Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function.