| 4 years after floods, Jhelum awaits proper dredging | | |  Mohammad Sarfaraz
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Sep 7: Four years passed since floods hit Kashmir valley in Sep 2014, that left many people dead and property worth crores damaged, however the nightmare still haunts the people who are living close to the river banks. According to them, embankments were not constructed, and drudging works were not completed yet.
According to sources , Sep 6-7/2014 floods has remained unforgettable for the people of valley in which almost 250 or so were killed across the state, and property worth crores was also damaged
"Ever since the river spilled over its banks in 2014, leading to devastating floods in Kashmir, any sign of the Jhelum swelling has led to considerable alarm among local residents. At least 280 people were killed in the 2014 floods across the state, and property worth crores was also damaged", said sources.
Sources said that after the devastating floods, huge amount around 1,458 crore was approved under the Prime Minister's Development Package for a two-phase flood management plan for the Jhelum.
Among the allotted money, the focus was mainly on drudging in river Jhelum, embankments, encroachments and flood channels and so on, sources said.
Bashir Ahmad of Bemina said that despite the repeated attempts of the govt to start an anti encroachment drive, and at some places they did it, but that was not enough and the drive was stopped due to best reasons known to the authorities concerned.
It is the fourth year since floods hit the Kashmir valley, but as of now the ground situation is altogether different, there are hundreds of villages in Kashmir valley alone that are in the low lying areas, the stream, rivulets and other water resources are passing from there, said a resident of Bemina.
While as Manzoor Ahmad of Sumbal Shilvat said that the embankments of rivers, nullahs were not constructed and unfortunately the popular trees, willow trees on the banks of river Jhelum and majestic Chinars in the city and at other places in many districts were chopped off and with the result small amount of rain brings flood like situation in Kashmir valley.
If some where the embankments on river Jhelum were made, but they are weak and the sub standard material was used and that means and open cheating has been done with the rural masses at large, said Manzoor Ahmad.
"Let the authorities check their work and they will find out that there are breaches in embankments that were filled up by soil and mud and the authorities and officials of flood and irrigation department are not bothered about their faults which could bring a huge destruction anytime, sources further told early times. |
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