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| Stagnant water, unhygienic environs worry people; Govt missing | | Handover 'Clean Srinagar' operation to Army, suggest locals | | Fazal Khan
SRINAGAR, Sept 20: With each passing day situation in the flood hit Srinagar city is turning grim as government has failed to mobilize its men and machinery.
Tall claims about city being cleaned have turned out to be a hoax. Many areas, including the city centre Lal Chowk, even after 14 days are under water as dewatering is going on at a very slow pace.
Sources told Early Times that most dewatering pumps are not in working condition as authorities have not got them serviced for years together. "Flash floods hitting the Valley caught the Flood Control Department napping. The inability of the department to drain out the stagnated water even after 14-days has exposed the government's preparedness to deal with the disaster," said Majid Ahmed of Bemina.
"Our houses are under water for the past so many days. We are making efforts on our own personal level. There is no help forthcoming from the state administration. Government is non-existent," Majid added.
Sources said that every year Flood Control Department gets special funds to service its equipment and keep other necessary items ready to deal with any disaster. "The unpreparedness of the department to deal with the floods has proved that the money granted by the government to remain prepared to deal with the disaster has not been spent in a proper way," they said, adding that as soon normalcy is restored a proper enquiry would be ordered to ascertain what went wrong.
Many locals are of the opinion that operation to clean Srinagar should be handed over to Army so that they could get the much needed respite. "Army has the equipment and the manpower. State government should request the army to intervene," said Arshad Ahmed of Tengpora area in Batmaloo, where boats are still rowing.
He said had it been a law and order problem government would have not even wasted a single minute to send a requisition to Army for help. "Right now people need help. Government should act," Ahmed added.
A top Army official wishing anonymity while talking to Early Times said, "Army would have steeped in, but people becoming hostile at times and resorting to stone pelting can lead to situation taking an ugly turn. Had people not been hostile Army would have definitely come forward."
Locals are aghast at the inability of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation to remove the garbage from the streets of Srinagar for the past two weeks. "If SMC fails to clear the garbage a bigger catastrophe than flood cannot be ruled out. Doctors have already sounded an epidemic alarm. The stink and the animal carcasses in the flood hit city can become the source of infection and grip entire Kashmir like floods," said Farooq Ahmed of Rawalpora Baghat Barzulla.
He said heaps of garbage are piled in the lanes of Rawalpora and other adjoining areas. "No one is coming forward to clear the mess," Ahmed added.
Residents of many areas in old city are up in arms against the government for its failure to get the streets cleared. "Omar led government has failed on every front. Mishandling of situation after floods hit Kashmir is one more feather in its cap," they added. |
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