 Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR, Sept 18: Making a mockery of his own claim that Civil Secretariat would be cleared of the flood water by Wednesday night Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today accepted that more than two feet water is still there in the premises of the highest seat of governance in the summer capital of the state.
Interacting with the presenters of the helpline programme being broadcast by Radio Kashmir, Srinagar from Shankaracharya hills, Omar said that two and half feet of water is there in the premises of Civil Secretariat. He at the same time claimed that High Court and Assembly complex have been made free from the flood water.
Few days back Omar had claimed that State Government geared up to mitigate the sufferings of flood affected people and no stone would be left unturned in this regard. He had said that Civil Secretariat would resume its functioning from September 18 and this according to him would have been first step towards the normalization of situation in Srinagar.
However, like the previous occasions the Chief Minister failed to live up to his promise and as such the Civil Secretariat could not function from today. Omar has once again deceived the people after failing to keep his word. He has infact asked the people to contact his shifted office at Hari Niwas until the flood water either recedes or is pumped out.
Reports said that it would take at least two or three days for the concerned authorities to dewater the premises of Civil Secretariat. As such it is quite possible that the highest seat of governance would start to function from Monday or Tuesday. By that time it is possible that Jammu based employees would return to Srinagar and then rejoin their duties.
"The road connecting Civil Secretariat with the uptown areas is submerged and it would take many more days to clear the road. Given the situation it was just rhetoric from the Chief Minister to reopen the Civil Secretariat and it was not based on the ground reality. Maybe he is playing to the public galleries," said Abdul Hamid, a resident of Suthrashahi.
Meanwhile, important commercial areas like Lal Chowk, Abi Guzar, Regal Chowk, Maulana Azad Road, Exchange Road, Palladium Lane, Residency Road, Ghanta Ghar, Budshah Chowk, Maisuma, Gaw Kadal, Aftab Market, Court Road, Jawahar Nagar, Rajbagh, Kursoo Rajbagh, Karan Nagar, Balgarden, Suthrashahi, Magharmal Bagh, Sarie Bala, Hari Singh High Street, Jehangir Chowk, Exhibition Crossing, Hazuri Bagh, Lal Mandi and Wazir Bagh continue to be inundated with flood water.
At the same time areas like Aloochi Bagh, Boulevard Road, Sonwar, Shivpora, Batwara, Indira Nagar, Bemina, Qamarwari, Hilalabad, MIG Colony, HIG Colony, Hamdania Colony, Nundreshi Colony, Owaisabad, Firdousabad, Bonapora, Mominabad, Kursoo Padshahi Bagh, Mehjoor Nagar, Eidgah, Firdous Colony and Narwara continue to be inundated with flood water.
Thousands of people living in these areas are reeling under severe crisis and there is no plan from the government to provide relief to these affected people. Higher ups of the state government are yet to reach the affected people. Going by the present speed it may take weeks together for the state government to reach the affected people and provide them relief. |
