Ordinance Depot Fire, not explosionproof installation?

AMMO DEPOT FIRE Central team visits Khundroo Ehsan Fazili Tribune News Service Srinagar, August 23 At least 11 out of 13 villages affected by fire at the Khundroo ammunition depot have been cleared of live ammunition while the remaining two villages, Sumran and Nogam, will be cleared by Sunday. The clearance of orchards and maize and paddy fields will start tomorrow. A team of officers from the Revenue and R&B will start survey of the houses to assess the quantum of damage to residential buildings and loss to livestock. The entire process will be videographed during house to house survey and the assessment will be completed by September 7. This information was given at a high- level meeting of senior officers of the central and state governments, chaired by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad last evening to review measures taken for relief and rehabilitation of the affected population at Khundroo. The central team comprising joint secretary, home, Mittali Sen Gavai, joint secretary, defence, Binay Kumar, DG, ordnance supplies and a senior officer of the Army Operational Logistics arrived on a two day assessment visit earlier yesterday. The state team was led by chief secretary, C. Phunsog and included financial commissioner, home, B. R. Kundal, DGP, Kuldeep Khoda, principal secretary to Chief Minister, Anil Goswami, secretary, revenue, divisional commissioner, Kashmir and district development commissioner, Anantnag. The meeting was told that another team of officers from the revenue, agriculture and horticulture departments would assess the damage suffered by crops and horticulture. The assessment of damage would be sent to the central government for compensation. The Chief Minister asked the officers to segregate the damaged houses as repairable and un-repairable structures so that owners of the repairable houses could be paid compensation to undertake repairs before the onset of winter. He said arrangements for shelter and food for the families whose houses were fully damaged and could not be reconstructed before winter would have to be made. The central team assured the Chief Minister that as soon as the assessment of the damages was received the compensation money would be released by the ministry of defence. The team members who visited the affected villages earlier today said they would brief the central government about the situation and ensure that the sufferings of the local people on account of the Khundroo ammunition depot fire were adequately addressed. Binay Kumar said that the request of the state government to release advance compensation money in anticipation of the final assessment would be considered, an official spokesman said.

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