Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday laid the foundation stone for the construction of ‘smart houses’ for cloudburst-hit families in Chisoti village of Kishtwar district.
As many as 19 houses, which were completely damaged during the natural disaster on August 14, will be rebuilt free of cost with the support of the High-range Rural Development Society (HRDS India), a civil society organisation.
The cloudburst also killed 65 people, mostly pilgrims visiting the Machail Mata shrine, and left over 100 others injured, while more than 30 people remain untraced.
Paying homage to those who lost their lives in the tragedy, the Lieutenant Governor said the catastrophic floods swept away precious lives, wiped out several homes, and tore through infrastructure.
“I am hopeful that the three-bedroom prefabricated smart houses, for which the foundation stone was laid today, will help bring the lives of the affected families back on track,” he said, addressing the residents.
Sinha appreciated HRDS India for its noble initiative.
“Since SDRF relief is insufficient, I had earlier requested HRDS India to rebuild 1,500 fully damaged houses across the UT in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor and the August floods, to which they had agreed. This initiative will provide huge relief to the affected families,” he said.
He said each house will feature a concrete foundation and, utilising prefabricated technology, including fibre cement boards, powder-coated GI sheets, and a steel structural framework with C-channel sections.
These materials have been selected for their strength, durability, and ability to withstand harsh climatic conditions, ensuring long-term resilience and suitability to the region’s environment, the Lieutenant Governor said, adding that every reconstructed unit will be developed as a “smart house,” incorporating modern design elements for comfort, safety, and functionality.
Sinha expressed his gratitude to all the emergency responders, district administration, Army, NDRF, SDRF, Police, armed forces, local community, youth, and voluntary organisations for saving precious lives, evacuating Machail Mata devotees to safety, and providing timely medical care.
“I must commend the profound resilience of the people of Chisoti. Nature has tested them severely, but this strong community met the challenge head-on,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor reaffirmed his commitment, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to the complete rehabilitation of flood-affected families and meeting the development needs of the people of Kishtwar.
“In a boost to our efforts to provide modern infrastructure to Paddar Kishtwar, the Government of India has sanctioned an Army Goodwill School and one petrol pump at Paddar,” he said.
He also announced that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will reconstruct the Atholi to Machail Mata Road and build a new bridge in Chisoti.
He said all the black spots in the mobile network connection have been identified, and land has been transferred to BSNL to set up new 4G towers.
During his visit, the Lieutenant Governor interacted with local residents and listened to their issues and demands. He directed the district administration to connect the youth with self-employment opportunities through Mission Yuva.
The Lieutenant Governor said the ongoing works for the augmentation of facilities for the pilgrims at Machail Mata will be completed by May next year. He also assured that appropriate steps will be taken to meet the demand for the construction of Yatri Niwas at Paddar.
A two-minute silence was observed in memory of those who lost their lives in the calamity.
