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| Why no action was taken on J&K Govt's flood report? : Sunita Narain | | | New Delhi, Sept 15: Environmentalist Sunita Narain has demanded that responsibility be fixed for inaction on a report of the Jammu and Kashmir Flood Control Ministry which had in 2010 predicted that massive floods were likely to hit that city in the next five years.
Reacting to the report which was rediscovered and got wide publicity in the wake of the disaster that hit the state this month, Narain sought to know why no action was taken by those responsible for it. The report, prepared by the state's flood control department under then minister Taj Mohiuddin, had noted with dismay that the state government was not equipped to save human lives and property if a massive deluge hit the state.
What most parts of Srinagar and the Kashmir Valley are witnessing today, was predicted back in 2010 by the state government itself.
According to the prediction in the document, a discharge of 150,000 cusecs of water from the river Jhelum might submerge the whole city.
The report had been presented to the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet which had forwarded it to the Planning Commission.
During the days of the British, the state government had built a network of floods channels and wetlands to divert the water, but over the decades these were encroached upon for developmental purposes - to construct roads, housing colonies etc, leaving no exit for water.
The flood control department assessment had said most parts of valley were likely to be hit by floods and the "The Srinagar-Jammu highway may be washed away, leaving the valley cut off from the rest of the country."
Ms Narain said the built up area in Srinagar had increased from 1745.73 hectares in 1911 to 10,791.50 hectares in 2004.
The massive construction that happened in Srinagar after this period, had not been taken into account in these figures.
She also said it was extremely surprising that Jammu and Kashmir had no flood forecasting system while it was counted among the flood-prone states and its disaster management system was also very rudimentary.
She also did not buy the explanation of the Central Water Commission that the state government did not ask for setting up of a forecasting centre.
"Do they have to wait to be invited by the state government for this ?" she asked.
The ruthless destruction in the past 100 years, of more than 50 per cent of the lakes, ponds and wetlands of Srinagar for constructing buildings and roads has played havoc with the ecology of the beautiful city. Similarly, the banks of the Jhelum river have also been encroached upon, reducing the river's drainage capacity, she said. |
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