Srinagar, Aug 19 (JKNS): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that the chances of finding alive those missing in the Kishtwar tragedy are now negligible, stressing that the government is concentrating on retrieving bodies so that families can perform the last rites with dignity.
“The situation in Kishtwar is known to all. Around 70 people are still missing, but at this stage, it is almost impossible to expect them to be found alive,” Omar told reporters after attending a seminar on the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) at Centaur Hotel Srinagar, as per news agency JKNS.
“In such a situation, our effort is to recover as many bodies as possible so that families can perform proper last rites. At the local level, we are also looking into the assistance that affected families will require,” he added.
On disaster mitigation, Omar clarified that the existing Disaster Mitigation Fund was specifically designed to address glacial lake bursts. “What happened in Kishtwar, according to the latest information, was not caused by a glacial lake burst but by a cloudburst. We need to appoint experts to identify which areas are more vulnerable to such threats,” he remarked.
Turning to the education sector, the CM acknowledged major shortcomings in infrastructure and the shortage of teachers in remote areas. “There are weaknesses in the education system, whether in terms of infrastructure or the lack of teachers in far-off regions. In the budget, we had announced new infrastructure like modern classrooms and K-12 schools. I have asked for a detailed roadmap and recommendations so that we can implement these projects effectively,” Omar said.
Education Minister Sakina Itoo and senior officials from the Directorate of School Education were also present on the occasion. The seminar was organised by the Directorate of School Education Kashmir in collaboration with Save the Children and supported by the HCL Foundation. (JKNS)
