Shakeel A Khan
Early Times Report
BUDGAM, Jun 29: Residents of this central Kashmir district are up in arms against their local MLA, and senior National Conference leader Aga Ruhalla, they allege that despite him (Ruhulla) enjoying his second stint as MLA he has failed to anything to strengthen the bunds and carry out dredging of the rivers and nallahs flowing through the area.
The recent flood threat kept all the people, including those in power, on toes but the elected representative from Budgam district didn’t feel the heat. The fearsome water has already damaged the paddy crops but unfortunately the MLA Aga Syed Ruhullah of National Conference has no idea about that.
“Our area continues to as our MLA has failed to get our problems addressed even when he was a minister. He was in power for 6 years but to no avail,” said Ghulam Mohammad from Soibugh.
As the Jehlum and its tributaries were flowing much above the danger mark there was every possibility that water may enter the low lying areas of the district. But even that did not make him (Ruhulla) come out of his den to take stock of the situation, he added.
The water that entered the fields of the villages like Hakermulla, Bemina, Sharifabad, Hajibagh, Soibugh, Daharmunah, Aarath, Gotapora and many adjoining villages, damaged the paddy crop there.
People of the area say that if the preventive measures are not taken on the priority, then another flood like that of September 2014, hitting Kashmir cannot be ruled out.
“The elected representative from our constituency has got no idea about what people are facing. The surveys are being conducted these days for digging flood channel through our area and if it happens it will have serious and long term consequences,” said Shabir Ahmad from Gotapora.
As per Shabir, the government is seriously considering the creation of an alternate spill channel through their area with an aim to save the people of other areas. But the irony is that the concerned MLA is in slumber, said Shabir.
Some people who spoke to Early Times said, “This is very sensitive issue.
If this flood channel becomes a reality it will pose a potential threat to the scores of villages. In case of breaches then, the situation of these villages will be same as it was in case of the areas like Rajbagh and Jawahar Nagar.”
Mukhtar Ahmad, another resident said: “I have come to know that the government is actively considering to create flood channel somewhat parallel to the railway track. If the things go as per the plan then a huge population will have to live between the two spill channels viz between the existing flood channel and the proposed one”. |
