news details |
|
|
| Govt agencies responsible for loss of life, property? | | Learning lesson from devastation | | Neha
JAMMU, Sept 8: The floodwaters have ravaged not just Jammu province but also Kashmir valley. The unwanted waters from the rivers Chenab and Tawi in Jammu province and Jhelum and Indus in the Kashmir Valley have caused loss to life and property, both private and public, on an unprecedented scale. The surging waters made no distinction between the plains and the hilly areas and between cities/towns and villages. People from all walks of life and of all areas suffered alike. It is difficult to determine the extent of damage both in Jammu province and Kashmir region suffered. Even the government is not in a position to assess the extent of damage. Nobody knows how many people have lost their lives. Some say 200 persons have lost their lives and some say more than 200. No one knows how many houses have collapsed or swept away. No one knows the extent to which the floodwaters have damaged the standing crops. No one knows how many villages got submerged under the water. Nobody has a clear picture. It's only natural because it was after several decades that both Jammu and Kashmir witnessed such type of floods and devastation.
It was no wonder that Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday termed the tragedy as a national disaster and offered the fullest possible support to the state government, which is more responsible for the loss of so many lives, especially in Jammu, which, like parts of Kashmir valley, witnessed a massive destruction of all kinds of structures, mostly constructed illegally along the Tawi, Chenab, Ujj rivers and so on. Had the vested interests in the administration not allowed illegal construction along these rivers, the story today would have been somewhat different, but it was not to be. They didn't pay any attention to such illegal construction activities and encroachments on river banks.
There was not one report but several reports since years that certain selfish elements in the administration and political parties were hand-in-glove with land mafia and were allowing illegal construction activities knowing it fully well that they were playing with the lives of the people. Who didn't know that the invaluable land along the fourth bridge on the Tawi River, a part of which was washed away on Saturday morning, had become a money-minting asset for "unauthorized colonizers? What about numerous "illegal" constructions in the Gujjar Nagar and the old city areas and near and along the Circular Road? Anything could happen anytime to the people who have raised structures through illegal means in the referred areas. They could meet the fate the unfortunate people, including men, women and children, met on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Similar is the story of all major towns, including Kathua, Samba, Vijapur, Bishnah, RS Pura, Sunderbani, Poonch, to mention only a few. The story of Kashmir is no different. But these are a few instances. One can refer to here several such instances to show that houses, shops and business establishments have come up on several places, including on the risky banks of the River Chenab, obviously with the connivance of vested interests. And everyone knows who these vested interests are. Sadly, the people, who suffered, also cannot be absolved of the responsibility. The reasons are not really difficult to understand.
The government will give relief to the victims of the floods. Will someone ask the affected people as to who permitted them to raise structures on the river banks? They must be asked this question before the distribution of relief. This is a must to avoid such eventualities in the future. The authorities in departments like Municipal Corporation, Jammu Development Authority, Irrigation and Flood Control and so on need to be questioned and warned. Similarly, will the people learn lesson from what happened in the state during the last three-four days and not raise structures without proper permission. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
