"Our focus is on provision of medicines and water- purifying medicines like chlorine and lakhs of chlorine tablets have been distributed. We have asked municipalities to activate the sanitation system. Our primary concern is rescue and provision of food, prevention of diseases and epidemics is our priority," he said.
The chief minister noted that a major concern of the people affected by the floods is that they fear that their services would be disconnected for non-payment of bills and absence of recharge for prepaid connections.
"I have spoken to the Union telecom minister requesting that the due date of post-paid bills be deferred by 15 days. For prepaid connections, five days extra may be granted for making calls even if there is zero balance," he said.
Abdullah said the government is also paying attention to mobile banking so that people can retrieve their money for buying essentials.
Asked about the Centre's decision to refuse international aid for relief operations in the state, he said "we should accept help from anywhere in terms of expertise, if available. We are not begging. "
Flood triggered by heavy rain in Jammu and Kashmir have claimed around 200 lives so far and left thousands homeless. It has also caused extensive damage to road, rail and telecommunication infrastructure in the state.
J-K ministers urge PM to declare national calamity
A high-level ministerial team from J-K called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and requested him to declare the flash floods in the state as "national calamity" and announce a "liberal and pragmatic" financial and special rehabilitation package to restore normalcy at the earliest.
The delegation, led by state's finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather, submitted a memorandum to Modi putting forth several demands to help the state government which was grappling with the worst deluge in over 100 years.
"The Prime Minister was very positive and assured us complete support to overcome the crisis," senior minister Ali Mohammed Sagar, who was a part of the delegation, told reporters.
While there are no guidelines on declaring any disaster as national calamity, the Centre decides this on case to case basis taking into account intensity and magnitude of the calamity, level of relief assistance, capacity of the state government to tackle the problem, the alternatives and the flexibility available within the plan to provide succour and relief.
The Uttarakhand tragedy in 2013 was declared as "calamity of severe nature" and the Centre had given around Rs. 12,000 crore assistance to the state.
Modi, during his visit to the state last Sunday, had announced an immediate package of Rs. 1000 crore.
