“Experiences in recent years have also shown that most of the times emergency services reach people hours or even days after flooding, land sliding and land sinking.”
Weather forecasts predicting occurrence of natural disasters like floods at particular places in a region serve as wake up calls in view of their increasing accuracies facilitated due to increasing technological intervention and as such it is for the Government to fully prepare itself for facing any eventuality anywhere by taking clues from the forecasts. Unfortunately the authorities in Jammu & Kashmir Government don’t tend to put its men and machinery on alert immediately after knowing about the occurrence of natural calamities from the weather forecasters excepting in the mid winter periods when snowfalls are expected anytime more in the hilly areas and less in the plains. Government not taking serious the forecasts about heavy rains for the purposes of advance preparations to meet any eventuality finally reduces unprecedentedly the accessibility of people to basic emergency services. Quick responses to natural disasters begins with hassle free accessibility of people to basic emergency services but experiences show that people most of the times find themselves in deep shock for days together when they don’t see basic emergency services available in their areas for days together. Experiences in recent years have also shown that most of the times emergency services reach people hours or even days after flooding, land sliding and land sinking.
“While defunct drainage system stands at the core of difficulties in restoration of basic facilities like transport services in the aftermath of flooding year after year in Kashmir Valley the drainage system , road facilities and transport services don’t get the attention they deserve for the purposes of mitigating the sufferings of the people during the times of natural disasters like flooding, land sliding and land sinking.”
Since movement of the people in the wake of flooding, land sliding and land sinking to safer places is to be the biggest priority, the clearance of the roads prone to flooding and land sliding deserves the immediate attention of the road clearance squads in all the districts both in Kashmir Valley and Jammu division. Since every natural calamity is a new experience for both the people and the Government, the responses to recent flooding in Kupwara, Srinagar and other districts being questioned by people on many counts deserve immediate attention of the Government. Instead of waking up on receiving weather forecasts about rains, flooding and land sliding it would be better for Government to upgrade basic public facilities like drainage, road infrastructure and transport services for the purposes of increasing the efficiency of the working of public conveniences even during natural calamities. While defunct drainage system stands at the core of difficulties in restoration of basic facilities like transport services in the aftermath of flooding year after year in Kashmir Valley the drainage system , road facilities and transport services don’t get the attention they deserve for the purposes of mitigating the sufferings of the people during the times of natural disasters like flooding, land sliding and land sinking.
