We will reach you all, Omar assures locals

J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday said the flood situation in the state was “unprecedented” and asked people not to panic, promising that the government would rescue them.

“This is an unprecedented situation and we are doing the best we can under the circumstances. Please do not panic, we will reach you, I promise,” he said on Twitter.

Omar asked the people, who were sending distress calls to him on the micro-blogging site, to stay in the upper storeys of the buildings and wait for the help to come.

The chief minister said he had spoken to the Union cabinet secretary to direct the air force to use helicopters to evacuate people from the areas that have been submerged.

“I have spoken to cabinet secretary heading crisis management team in Delhi to direct airlifting of boats to Srinagar urgently via NDMC and army, being done,” Omar tweeted.

The chief minister also opposed any delay in holding the assembly polls in the state due to the floods and said there would be no difficulty in holding the elections on time.

“It (delay in polls on the plea of flood situation) should not happen. If you want to delay it, the life of J&K Assembly will expire,” he told reporters.

Omar added, “Then it will not be possible to hold elections till March-April. Then you will say that there should be governor rule for 3-4 months that is not good for any state.”

“If you do not conduct elections till November-December then some of the areas of our state will get cut off,” Omar said.