Kishtwar, Nov 03 (KNO): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday assured the people of Chishoti village in Kishtwar district that the hamlet will be rebuilt in a short span of time.
LG Sinha, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) visited the cloudburst hit village today and laid the foundation stone for construction of new houses for the victims, who lost shelters on August 14 this year after a cloudburst triggered massive landslides in the area. More than 60 people died in the calamity hit remote village.
It may be recalled that on the ill-fated day large groups of pilgrims were gathered at Chisoti village— a key stop on the pilgrimage to the Machail Mata Mandir — and were collecting food from a langar when flash floods washed them away. Search and rescue operations continued for many days to trace the missing persons.
LG Sinha during his visit to the village announced that 19 houses that were completely damaged during the disaster will be rebuilt free of cost with support of High-range Rural Development Society (HRDS India), a Kerala based Civil Society Organisation.
The Lieutenant Governor paid homage to the citizens and security personnel who lost their lives due to the tragic natural disaster.
“The catastrophic floods swept away precious lives, wiped out several homes and tore through infrastructure. I am hopeful that the three-bedroom pre-fabricated smart houses for which the foundation stone was laid today will help bring the lives of the affected families back on track,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor appreciated the 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 under Operation Sindoor and in the aftermath of August floods, to which they had agreed. This initiative will provide huge relief to the affected families,” he said.
An official said, “Each house will feature a concrete foundation utilizing prefabricated technology, including fiber 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.”
“Every reconstructed unit will be developed as a Smart House incorporating modern design elements for comfort, safety, and functionality,” the official added.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor expressed his gratitude to all the emergency responders, district administration, Army, NDRF, SDRF, Police, armed forces, local community, youth and voluntary organizations 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 Chishoti. Nature has tested them severely, but this strong community met the challenge head-on,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor reaffirmed his commitment, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for complete rehabilitation of the 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, Government of India has sanctioned an Army Goodwill School and One Petrol Pump at Paddar,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He also announced that Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will reconstruct Atholi to Machail Mata Road and build a new bridge in Chishoti.
He said that all the black spots in Mobile Network Connection have been identified and land has been transferred to BSNL to set up new 4G towers.
The Lieutenant Governor interacted with the locals 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 the month of May, 2026.
He also assured that the appropriate steps will be taken to meet the demand for construction of Yatri Niwas at Paddar.
A two-minute silence was observed in the memory of those who lost their lives in Chishoti on August,14, 2025.
Sunil Sharma, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in J&K Legislative Assembly and MLA Paddar- Nagseni; Shagun Parihar, Member of Legislative Assembly from Kishtwar; Shrimath Swami Atma Nambi, President, HRDS India; Dr Mandeep K Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor; Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Shridhar Patil, DIG DKR Range; Pankaj Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar; Aji Krishnan; Founder – Secretary and representatives of HRDS India; senior officials, prominent citizens and people from different walks of life attended the foundation stone laying ceremony—(KNO)