Rainawari Fire Victims Receive Rs 2.3 Lakh Relief, Govt Promises Permanent Rehabilitation
SRINAGAR: Nasir Aslam Wani, Advisor to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, announced on Wednesday that the government is committed to ensuring the permanent rehabilitation of families affected by the recent fire in Rainawari, Srinagar, and other inhabitants of Dal Lake.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the affected families in the interiors of Dal Lake, Wani said that financial assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) has already been disbursed, with each affected family receiving RS 1.30 lakh. Additionally, Rs 1 lakh has been sanctioned for each family under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
“Dal Lake residents are particularly vulnerable to fires during the winter, and the lack of fire service accessibility in the lake’s interiors exacerbates the situation. A plan for the permanent rehabilitation of Dal dwellers has been in progress for years, and Rakh-e-Arth was identified for this purpose. We remain committed to relocating the Dal inhabitants, including houseboat dwellers,” Wani said. He added that the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar is currently identifying land for the rehabilitation of fire-affected families.
On the same occasion, Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Satish Sharma, assured that free ration would be provided to the affected families for three months. “The ration will be delivered to the families by this evening,” he stated. Sharma also expressed relief that there were no casualties in the incident.
At least 18 residential structures were damaged in the fire in the Rainawari area of Srinagar. (KNO)
