| 4 yr after floods, Govt starts survey of water bodies | | Too little, too late? | | Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, June 18: The state government has undertaken a survey of all water bodies to increase their carrying capacity, more than four years after the floods devastated the state, particularly the Kashmir Valley.
An official of the Irrigation and Flood Control department said that a survey is being conducted to prevent floods.
"Far last over four years, no preventive measures have been taken. Now they have started a survey," the official said.
Last week, following heavy rains for some days, the water level in the Jhelum reached the alarming level of 18 feet.
This has become a common phenomenon in Kashmir following 2014 floods. Even a moderate rainfall is enough to increase the level of Jhelum.
Post-2014 floods, the government had made tall claims about taking measures to prevent floods in the future. However, the government's announcements have been confined to papers only.
The Union Ministry of Water Resources in December 2014 asked the state government to frame a detailed project report for the 80-km Dogripora flood channel to be constructed from Awantipora in south Kashmir to Wular Lake in north Kashmir's Bandipora district.
Under this mega project, a Rs 18,000 crore flood channel was to be created to carry the surplus flood discharge of Jhelum.
"However, nothing has been done in this regard so far. Even the government has failed to file a detailed project report," said a source in the Irrigation and Flood Control department.
In July 2015, the first-ever disaster management plan was approved by the cabinet headed by the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. However, the official said the plan is yet to be implemented. "The government has failed to equip the agencies that could deal with disasters and mitigate sufferings of people at a time of natural calamity," the official said.
After 2014 deluge, the government had announced that dredging of river Jhelum would be completed by December 2016 to prevent floods in future.
The drudging of Jhelum was to be carried out in two phases in order to increase its carrying capacity. |
|
