Sept 14 needs for #JKFloodRelief Baby Food Footwear Utensils Check http://t.co/3YLO5g9JU4 for details. Pls RT. pic.twitter.com/qSNyJLmrzD — #JKFloodRelief (@jkfloodrelief) September 14, 2014

Satellite images showing clouds over Jammu & Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/eMlNpwiFmr — ANI (@ANI_news) September 14, 2014

.@PMOIndia appeals to you to help fellow countrymen in J&K by donating generously to PMNRF #jnkfloods #KashmirFloods pic.twitter.com/F0Wk5GSwmk — PIB India (@PIB_India) September 13, 2014

SRINAGAR: Relief operations in flood-hit Jammu & Kashmir were briefly hampered on Sunday morning due to rain even as the armed forces and NDRF rescued another 60,000 people trapped in flood waters in Kashmir valley.Rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning lashed Srinagar and other parts of the valley, on Sunday morning, triggering fears about more trouble in the area which is already reeling under the devastation caused by incessant rain last week.. The weather had been clear for the past five days after incessant rain led to unprecedented floods in the valley.However, the rainfall which started at around 8.30am stopped within an hour.In view of the rainfall and dense clouds, IAF halted its flights to ferry relief supplies even though emergency operations of transporting medicines were maintained, IAF officials said, adding normal relief operations by IAF choppers resumed at 11.15am."The weather is very bad. We have had to halt our operations for some time and we are waiting for the weather to clear," Indian Air Force spokesman Gerard Galway said. "We are hopeful that we should be back to efforts as soon as the weather clears," he added.Weather was overcast since early on Sunday morning and the rain started at around 8.30am and its intensity increased.SDM, Srinagar, Syed Abid Rasheed Shah said that inclement weather will create problems as many people are still on the roads and without shelter.At some places, people are putting up in tents which are not waterproof, he said.At the same time, Shah said relief operations would continue despite rainfall.Lending some hope to the massively grim scenario in the valley, JKS Rawat (DIG, NDRF) said that, “I think in a couple of days everyone will be rescued.” He added that NDRF has rescued around 49,115 people from Kashmir, and that the distribution of relief material is on in full swing.Continuing their rescue operations for the 13th day, armed forces and NDRF personnel rescued another 60,000 people caught in flood waters in Kashmir valley since Saturday."Armed Forces and NDRF have so far rescued over 2 lakh people from different parts of J&K in the ongoing rescue and relief operations," a senior Army officer said.Of these, 1.20 lakh people have been rescued by Army alone, the officer said, adding that the operation is going on.The Centre estimates at least 200 people died and 142,000 people have been rescued in the restive region Kashmir where militants have been fighting Indian rule since the late 1980s.Some 137 relief camps were operating in the Kashmir valley alone assisting over 100,000 people, officials said.Pakistan, which has suffered a series of annual flood diasters, says as many as 2.29 million people have been affected.Amid fears of an epidemic breaking out due to floods in Jammu & Kashmir, the state government is gearing up to contain the damage and wants the Centre to speedily send medicines as well as at least 300 paramedic staff.The department of health services is making arrangements on war-footing, issuing advisories, deploying doctors and paramedics across the valley, besides dispatching drugs and medicines.The outbreak of epidemic is feared because of filth that has accumulated across the valley along with the death of animals and their carcasses floating around in the flood waters."We are sensitizing people about dos and don'ts," Saleem-ur Rehman, director, health services, told said, while pointing to the apprehension about an epidemic breaking out.He said doctors and paramedic staff are being rushed across the valley to sensitize people as well as take precautionary measures."Our doctors and paramedics are hard pressed ... We need a lot of people. We are drawing doctors and paramedic staff from places which were not affected by the floods," he said.Rehman said the central government has been "generous" and has sent 30 doctors who have been deployed in various districts of Kashmir.He wants at least 300 paramedic staff from the Centre, saying it would be of great help.Drugs and medicines are coming into Kashmir in good flow but the Centre should be little more generous in speedily sending more of such supplies, he said.He said departments allied with health issues like Public Health Engineering (PHE) and municipalities need to get active immediately to prevent an epidemic.Chief minister Omar Abdullah had said that Kashmir has a history that lives are not lost in floods but in the aftermath of floods.Jammu & Kashmir may witness light rainfall on Monday according to the Meteorological Department, although the Met department has clarified that there is no reason to panic yet."There is nothing to be panicky about; there are chances of light rain in Jammu division tomorrow, but it will be less than one centimetre. Srinagar might witness a moderate rainfall but the intensity will be very light," Charan Singh, a MET department official said.Around 1.5 lakh people are still marooned in many parts of the valley after the worst floods in the state in a century unleashed a trail of death and destruction.All necessary steps will be taken to ensure that the flood-affected people in Jammu & Kashmir do not suffer further miseries during winter which is going to set in less than two months, the state government has said."We are aware of the approaching winter. We will take all the steps to ensure that the people affected by floods do not suffer any further," secretary to state government's revenue, relief and rehabilitation department Vinod Kaul said.Although December 21 every year traditionally marks the onset of winter, night temperatures in most parts of the Kashmir valley have fallen below freezing point as early as the first week of November for the past several years now.Kaul said the rehabilitation of the flood-affected persons was a three-staged process with rescue and relief of people from flooded areas being the top priority."We are rescuing people and providing them relief like ration, bottled drinking water, medicines and vaccines," he said.(With inputs from agencies)