Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 20: The Union Government is likely to declare all ten districts of the Jammu region and five districts of the Kashmir Valley as flood-affected following a comprehensive survey conducted by a team from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The development comes in the wake of the devastating floods triggered by incessant rains during the last week of August, which left a trail of destruction across large parts of the Union Territory.
The MHA delegation, comprising senior officials and disaster management experts, toured multiple flood-hit districts over the past fortnight. They inspected damaged houses, farmlands, schools, and roads, and also interacted with local residents, panchayat representatives, and district administrations to assess the magnitude of the calamity.
Officials said the team was particularly concerned about the massive loss of standing crops, collapse of rural infrastructure, and displacement of families in low-lying and riverine belts of the Jammu plains as well as parts of the Valley.
The team’s report, now submitted to the Union Government, has strongly recommended declaring the worst-hit districts as flood-affected in order to unlock immediate relief and rehabilitation measures.
In Jammu region, flash floods swept through villages, destroyed bridges, washed away roads, and left hundreds of houses damaged or uninhabitable.
In Kashmir Valley, several districts witnessed overflowing rivers and streams that inundated agricultural land, damaged orchards, and cut off connectivity to remote areas.
Official figures are still being compiled, but preliminary estimates suggest multi-crore losses to agriculture, livestock, and public infrastructure. In several areas, families continue to live in makeshift shelters as authorities struggle to restore electricity and drinking water supply.
Declaring the affected districts as flood-affected will allow the Union Territory to access special central relief packages, including compensation for crop loss, rebuilding of damaged infrastructure, and financial aid for families whose homes were destroyed.
Sources said the Union Government is also likely to sanction long-term measures such as strengthening river embankments, modernizing drainage systems, and setting up flood-control projects to prevent a repeat of such devastation in the future.
Meanwhile, local administrations in the flood-hit districts have been instructed to prepare detailed damage assessment reports to ensure speedy disbursal of compensation once the formal declaration is made.
For the hundreds of families across Jammu and Kashmir who lost homes, farmland, or livelihoods in the floods, the declaration will be a ray of hope. Many are still struggling to rebuild their lives weeks after the disaster, relying on temporary shelters, community kitchens, and limited local relief.
“The government’s decision will bring much-needed assistance to people who have lost everything in the calamity,” a senior official said.
With the Centre’s announcement expected shortly, there is widespread anticipation that the move will accelerate relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts across the Union Territory. |
