Few hours of downpour exposes claims of flood preparedness in Kashmir: Tarigami

Srinagar: CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Thursday said a few hours of downpour has once again exposed the hollow claims of flood preparedness in Kashmir.
“A spell of heavy showers in the morning caused water-logging in many places in the Valley and capital Srinagar city as well. Several localities in the city were submerged in rainwater on Thursday,” Mr Tarigami said.
He said Veshu Nallah in Kulgam district, one of the high-gradient tributaries in the upstream of Jhelum, needs immediate flood-control measures to mitigate the threat downstream.
“To reduce to velocity of floodwaters and slow down and stagger the flood peak of the Veshu during high magnitude floods which results in the flooding of the south Kashmir and downstream, it is necessary to take appropriate measures in the entire Veshu basin, particularly in the mountainous watersheds,” he said.
He said for short-term and long-term flood mitigation in Kulgam district, it is important to identify on priority various engineering and non-engineering measures to reduce the risk of the people and infrastructure in the district to flooding. “Any flood control and mitigation measures for Veshu nallah will have inter-alia ameliorating impacts on the flood scenario at Sangam and downstream in the Jhelum basin,” he said.
“There is possibility of construction of a dam or cascade of barrages just downstream of the Aharbal fall, to mitigate the flood situation not in the district, but in Kashmir. The construction of concrete/earthen levee on both sides of the Veshu nallah is a necessary long-term flood protection measure for reducing the risk of the people living in the district to flooding,” he said.
“There is also need for launching massive afforestation programs in the district through Forest Department involving panchayats, schools and other relevant agencies,” he said.
“We hope these measures will be taken on priority as even a day’s rainfall brings Kashmir on the brink of floods,” he added.