The process to declare the 31 people who went missing two months ago in flash floods triggered by a cloudburst at Chashoti in Machail, Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir, as presumed dead has been initiated.
According to Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Paddar, Dr Amit Kumar, the process will take about two months.
“The process has been initiated. There will be a combined inquiry by a magistrate and the police, after which the case will be forwarded to the District Magistrate regarding the presumption of death,” Kumar told THE WEEK. “In normal procedure, it takes seven years to declare a missing person as dead. But there have been cases in Uttarakhand and during the 2014 Kashmir floods. We got some circulars and orders regarding how to deal with such cases in disaster situations.”
He said the inquiry has to take into consideration the claims and objections from all concerned and the time for that is one month. “So the process will take two months to complete,” he said.
More than 60 people, mostly Machail Mata pilgrims, died in the flash floods at Chashoti.
The natural disaster on September 14 left behind a trail of death and destruction in the remote village. The flash floods completely swept away the langar set-up for the yatris at Chashoti along with dozens of houses and livestock.
Roads and bridges were destroyed, and communication lines were cut, leaving the area completely isolated for days. Rescue teams had to walk long distances through damaged terrain to reach the affected families.
The authorities mobilised all resources to find the missing, however, the search operation failed to trace anyone.
Body parts of some of the dead were recovered during searches that were later sent for DNA analysis for identification.
The announcement of presuming the missing to be dead brings a sad end to a long search operation.
It allows the government to begin the legal process of declaring the missing as deceased.
The SDM has given a 30-day public notice, asking family members, government departments, or anyone concerned to come forward with any claims or objections.
Once this period ends, official paperwork will start so that families can receive compensation and other benefits.
The step was legally necessary to help families begin the process of rebuilding their lives. Many families have been living in uncertainty since the floods, with no news of their missing relatives.
With the official declaration of death, the families of those lost can begin claiming compensation, insurance, and inheritance rights.
The monsoon rains in September caused flooding of several residential areas in Jammu and Kashmir. Residents of villages in flood-prone areas shifted to safer locations. The floods caused disruption to power and drinking water supplies in Jammu.