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| 'J&K Govt was in sleeping mode, allowed illegal encroachments' | | September 2014 Flood Disaster Panel report | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Jan 8: NC-Congress coalition government allowed illegal encroachments, was delinquent and on a sleeping mode when floods hit the Jammu and Kashmir in September 2014.
These stinging remarks have been made by a department related parliamentary standing committee on Home Affairs in its 182nd report on "Rescue, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in the aftermath of the floods and landslides in Jammu and Kashmir." Committee presented this report in both the houses of parliament i.e. Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on December 22, 2014. The committee has held the state government directly responsible for this flood disaster.
Not only this, the committee has pointed towards lack of faith in the administrative system of the state government by asking the central government to ensure that funds released for relief and rehabilitation are utilized for the purpose. For this purpose, the committee has recommended that utilization of these funds should be under close supervision and monitoring of a joint team consisting of the representative of state government and the central government for fair deal of justice and equitable distribution.
The committee has not hesitated in showing its lack of faith in the administrative machinery and political executive of Jammu and Kashmir. Holding the administration responsible for allowing illegal encroachments, the committee has expressed serious concern over the fact that in Srinagar, flood pathways that have been in existence since Mughal era have all been heavily populated.
Committee has further taken note of the fact that the colonies like Badami Bagh Cantonment where Army Corps Headquarter is located, Rajbagh, Mehjoor Nagar are basically flood plains which were meant to serve as flood plains. But what has happened is over the last one hundred years, they have come to be heavily populated, the committee has noted with anguish and pain. It has stated that there was rampant encroachment on river banks and natural drains.
Committee has without mincing words said that the real estate in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Srinagar district has been rampantly violating the established norms and modalities. Stating that fiddling with natural courses of rivers and drains by constructing buildings whether legal or illegal, will not only have adverse impact on the ecology and environment but will also invite natural disasters, the committee has wondered how state government and the administration permitted constructions in such areas.
The committee has said that illegal encroachments along the traditional pathways for the outflow of water actually compounded the problem and led to the marooning of the entire city. Committee has observed that on both the banks of Jhelum River where the disaster has taken place and in the major areas of Srinagar city, there was water for three weeks. About this, committee has concluded that the accumulated water was not just allowed to flow through its normal and natural route, as the same was blocked completely.
Committee has taken the state government to task and expressed displeasure as to why the local authorities allowed such encroachments on a large scale which led to such disaster. They have strongly recommended that the state government should bring into force building bye laws keeping in view the topology of the state so that encroachments on river banks are avoided.
Committee sought to know whether the meteorological department had not forewarned the state government that the intensity of rain could be higher than the normal and whether any kind of pre-emptive measures were taken by the state government in respect of evacuation or other issues. Principal Secretary to the government accepted that the state government did receive the forecast that normal rain would be more than heavy but had never expected such a disaster.
Rebuffing the defence put up by Principal Secretary to the government, committee expressed its serious concern and said despite receiving forewarning that state would receive heavier rainfall than the normal rain, the kind of pre-emptive measures taken by state government were not sufficient to withstand the fury of the nature and the result was heavy casualties in terms of human loss and properties including public infrastructure in the state.
It needs to be mentioned here that due to continuous rainfall in the region during the week ending September 3, 2014; severe damage to life and property was caused in several locations in different parts of State. Of the 22 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, 10 districts reported higher than normal rainfall. In the following week from September 4, 2014 to September 10, 2014; with the exception of Poonch and Samba districts, all the remaining districts reported higher than normal rainfall. Because of the very high rainfall, breach of embankments and landslides occurred in different locations devastating different districts both in Jammu region as well as in Kashmir valley and in particular, the State summer capital, Srinagar which bore the brunt of the nature's fury. |
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