Peerzada Ummer
ET Report
SRINAGAR, May 30: Despite the standing directions of the state Governor NN Vohra in his address to the joint session of the Assembly over the disaster preparedness in the state on May 25, the budget presented by the Finance Minister on Monday had no mention of any provision to make JK capable to remain ready for tackling any natural calamity.
The Budget that was presented amid much fanfare has provisions for female students, employees, casual labourers, water resources and heritage sites but has no mention about the measures the government was expected to take to tackle the natural disasters.
On May 19 Oregon State University in the US said a major earthquake, of magnitude 8 or greater, may strike Jammu and Kashmir, endangering the lives of as many as a million people.
Scientists have known about the Reasi fault in Jammu and Kashmir, but it was not thought to be as much as a threat as other, more active fault systems.
The scientists had found that the Reasi fault has been building up pressure for some time, suggesting that when it does release or "slip," the resulting earthquake may be large - as much as magnitude 8.0 or greater.
After the report came to fore, Governor NN Vohra urged the government to take immediate cognizance and issue firm directives to "each and every stakeholder" to forthwith start preparing for dealing with a deadly earthquake.
In his letter to the CM, the Governor had re-iterated that J&K is predominantly located in Seismic Zone-V "and our people had, as recently as, in the 2005 earthquake, suffered considerable losses." Noting the response of the administrative system to the September 2014 floods, the Governor expressed concern that "we were totally unprepared on all fronts."
The Governor urged the "SDMA must take urgent and time bound steps for strengthening all possible structural/non-structural mitigation measures to reduce the risk vulnerability in every part of the State, particularly the two capital cities and all the other densely populated high risk urban areas."
"Side by side," Vohra said, "the various urban administration authorities, governmental and elected, shall need to strictly enforce a techno-legal regime to ensure earthquake resilient structural measures in every new construction, and, side by side, retro-fitting of all life-line structures, particularly hospitals, schools, colleges, universities, railway stations, airports and buildings housing important government offices."
However, the budget that was presented in the state Legislative Assembly didn't have any mention about what Governor had urged the government to do. As SDRF continues to be ill-prepared, ill-equipped, there was no provision kept to ensure its proper functioning and strengthening.
Further, no funds have been kept for the various urban administration authorities, governmental and elected, to strictly enforce a techno-legal regime to ensure earthquake resilient structural measures in every new construction, and, side by side, retro-fitting of all life-line structures, particularly hospitals, schools, colleges, universities, railway stations, airports and buildings housing important government offices. |
