“Flood threat looming large in various areas of both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division has yet again thrown up a huge challenge to the disaster management machinery of the Jammu & Kashmir Government”.
The disaster management machinery if put in a state of alertness in advance during the periods of wet weather have the capacity to reduce the intensity of losses caused by flooding and land sinking more intensely during the rainy seasons beginning from the fag end of February and comparatively less during snowing in mid winter periods beginning from mid December and lasting till Mid February. Unfortunately the recent boat tragedy in Gandbal area of Srinagar and the land sinking incident in Pernote Village of Ramban district show disaster management machinery in bad light in both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division. Yet to recover from the losses of life in Srinagar boat tragedy and loss of property in land sinking incident in Ramban district the flood threat looming large in various areas of both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division has yet again thrown up a huge challenge to the disaster management machinery of the Jammu & Kashmir Government. The heavy rains continuing for last two days have forced closure of not only Jammu-Srinagar highway but also Sopore-Kupwara highway, Bandipore Gurez road and may other surface links connecting plains with the upper reaches. While the flood threat looming large in various parts of Jammu & Kashmir is yet to put disaster management machinery on a struggling mode, the lack of alertness shown by the delay in responses to the Srinagar boat tragedy and Ramban land sinking incidents have brought to light the fact that deputy commissioners in both Kashmir and Jammu divisions have not previously undertaken any survey to identify the areas vulnerable to intense floods and land sinking.
“While Ramban land sinking incident necessitates rehabilitation of the victims of Pernote Village with full focus on the restoration of their livelihoods and accessibility to all basic amenities of life, the victims of the Srinagar boat tragedy deserve psychosocial support from the Government agencies, the NGOs, and civil society groups immediately and very urgently. Since both the Srinagar boat tragedy and as well as Ramban incident have served a wake-up call for the Government , the immediate review of the disaster management policy demands and deserves urgent attention of the Government for the purposes of raising the levels of alerts to natural disasters much before they occur in any area of Jammu & Kashmir.”
Had the Deputy Commissioners conducted surveys for identifying the areas vulnerable to floods and land sinking in their concerned districts in both Kashmir Valley and Jammu division the boat tragedy in Srinagar could have been averted and the people of pernote village of Ramban district hit by land sinking would have shifted to safer places well in advance. While the wounds of the families who lost lives of their loved ones in Srinagar boat tragedy can’t be healed by exgratia relief of few lacks, the victims of land sinking hit pernote Village though saved from major tragedies will lately find themselves struggling for their livelihoods and resettlement at secure and safer places. While Ramban land sinking incident necessitates rehabilitation of the victims of Pernote Village with full focus on the restoration of their livelihoods and accessibility to all basic amenities of life, the victims of the Srinagar boat tragedy deserve psychosocial support from the Government agencies, the NGOs, and civil society groups immediately and very urgently. Since both the Srinagar boat tragedy and as well as Ramban incident have served a wake-up call for the Government , the immediate review of the disaster management policy demands and deserves urgent attention of the Government for the purposes of raising the levels of alerts to natural disasters much before they occur in any area of Jammu & Kashmir.
