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| Govt caught napping by winter unrest ? | | |
If one describes the weather related
events that have taken place in the
Kashmir valley and in some parts of the regions of Jammu and Ladakh as winter unrest one may not be incorrect.It is the unrest the result of not only angry weather gods but also the outcome of the Government that is incapable of framing a sound disaster management policy.And what we have been watching during the last three weeks in various parts of the state is no less a disaster. It is the saga of distress and discomfort for over seven million people and a matter of shame for the Government that boasts of progress and peace.Though the level of weather related problems during the current winter season has been on a higher scale than the previous years,it is not something new and novel to Jammu and Kashmir. Invariably normal life gets paralysed in Kashmir and in the remote areas of Jammu besides the entire Ladakh region with the advent of the winter season.It has been there for ages.But the problem has been compounded during the last 30 years because the successive state Governments had failed to take in hand measures which could have spared people in the state from facing hardships and discomfort. When there are rains there are floods and when there are no rains and snow it is drought a national phenomenon but the impact of this phenomenon is the heaviest in Jammu and Kashmir than in other states in the country.On paper the state Government spends crores of rupees on flood protection but whenever the river Jehlum or Chenab is in spate it spells ruin in the state.The Governmnent spends crores of rupees on irrigation development schemes and on drought management but if it is a rainless monsoon there are areas in the state that are hit by drought. The Government, on paper, has been spending crores of rupees on snow clearance operations by purchasing various types of machines. But when the valley is hit by a heavy snowfall the road clearance projects prove ineffective. Electricity and drinking water supply systems are hit hard. People undergo severe hardships because of breakdown in power transmission lines and on account of congealment of drinking water pipes and taps. During the seven months summer period the Government has been making tall claims on building adequate stocks of consumer items in the Kashmir valley and in the Ladakh region for the winter months. But when the valley and the land of Lamas get cut off from rest of the country because of heavy snow, landslides and avalanches people face acute shortages of various edible items besides kerosene, petrol, diesel, LPG cylinders and score of other essential commodities. And when the public cry over the shortages of essential commodities gets louder the Government presses into service special air sorties for dropping or for carrying essential commodities to those areas that are cut off from rest of the country.
All these are adhoc measures that may not resolve peoples' problems and difficulties. The Government needs to review the entire situation and prepare a long-term solution for the winter crisis. Framing a contingency plan for meeting the challenges posed by difficult winter should become a part of the regular Government drill and the drill needs to be completed weeks before the end of the autumn season.It would be disastrous not only for the Government but for the people in the state also if those who are in power believe in the wisdom of "if winter has come can spring be far behind" |
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