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| Locals rue inadequate, delayed response of SDRF | | Drowning incidents on alarming rise | | Syed Tahir Bukhari
BARAMULLA, Aug 3: Drowning incidents are increasing alarmingly in north Kashmir, but the work force and equipments available with SDRF are still insufficient and in most of these cases the rescue operation is started hours after the incident.
Ghulam Mohidin Bhat , a resident of Baramulla told Early Times that it should be endeavor of the government to create a trained cadre of officials of different departments who are directly involved in disaster management. "The various stakeholders under the umbrella of the State Disaster Management Authority including the government departments like, Police, Navy, River Police, Health, R&B and PHE, etc should be made available to meet any untoward incident in future to ensure a quick and prompt response to any disaster whether natural or manmade" Bhat said. After drowning it becomes the sole responsibility of the authorities to put the men and machinery into service to save these precious lives or to fish out the dead bodies immediately and it is only possible if we have sufficient machineries like boats, chains and well trained rescue teams.
However an hour after the incident, assembled spectators protested against the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) after the incident a rescue team comprising of disaster management officials and 41 Rashtriya Rifle arrived at the scene to fish out the body. Unable to recover the body from the 80 feet deep river, however the authorities have not sought any help from Marine commanders of Indian navy.
According to locals, "in the last few years, after the SDRF department was established, the river police conduct rescue operations in Baramulla. However, the work force and equipments available are still insufficient and in most of these cases the rescue operation was started hours after the incident took place. Official from SRDF told early Times that for the entire north Kashmir the river police have to carry out rescue operations with just one motorboat. In north Kashmir, where the incidents of drowning have increased in the last few years, the rescue boat stationed here is insufficient to cover the entire belt. The reason is that the boat placed there is a 75 horsepower boat, which cannot be moved easily, official said.
The concerned rescue officials says the government should either station a rescue boat at these vulnerable places or at least fence the bridges from both the sides.
In May 2012 the rescue boat of river police was rowing near the foot bridge when a girl jumped into the Jhelum. Incident of drowning are common in Baramulla town it becomes the sole responsibility of the R&B department to fenced the Bridges. All major bridges are without fencing. It remains to be seen how the administration gears up to save precious lives from drowning. |
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