Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu, (DD) Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma has lauded the role of Army personnel engaged in search, rescue and relief operations following the devastating cloudburst at Chisoti village in Kishtwar.
During his visit to Rajouri and Kishtwar on Thursday, Lt Gen Sharma interacted with troops and commended their resilience and swift response in executing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) efforts.
The August 14 cloudburst in Chisoti, the last motorable point on the route to the Machail Mata temple, left 65 people dead and 33 missing. The Army inducted over 300 troops, heavy machinery and all-terrain vehicles to assist in rescue operations.
Army engineers also constructed a Bailey bridge across the Chisoti nullah within days, restoring vital connectivity to the village and the Machail Mata shrine. The flash floods had flattened a makeshift market and a langar site for pilgrims, damaged 16 houses, several temples, government buildings, a 30-metre bridge, water mills, and washed away more than a dozen vehicles.
The Army Commander emphasised the continued commitment of the forces in assisting civil administration and local communities during crises(DD)