While entire focus of State authorities is on providing rescue and relief to people in Srinagar and its adjoining areas, disaster caused by heavy rains and flood in rural areas in Jammu remains unnoticed. As days go by, the horrible stories of dozens of deaths caused by house collapse and flooded nullahs from rural areas of Udhampur, Rajouri, Reasi etc. are pouring in. In some Panchayats of Kalakot, people have staged demonstration against the authorities saying that no relief has reached them for last nearly two weeks. Road connectivity remaining disrupted has isolated many localities and villages and the condition of people is pitiable in a state of scarcity of food grains and other necessities of life. A cumbersome process in which people are asked to give applications and submit documents about the damages they have suffered in the inclement weather conditions is too complicated and people are unable to go through the cumbersome process.
Why are the authorities ignoring these hapless people in distant parts of Jammu who have equally suffered with other people in the crisis situation? It seems that Government machinery is nowhere to be seen there. Even the Chief Justice has advised the State Government not to turn blind eye to the suffering of the people in rural areas. At some Panchayats in far flung areas people demanded that NGOs should be deployed for distributing the relief under the supervision of a state functionary.
The local police in these far off areas have done a commendable job in rescuing the people who had been buried under the debris of collapsed houses. The Army units too have extended crucial help at the risk of their lives and saved hundreds of people who were marooned in rising waters in the nullahs. We would exhort the authorities to immediately dispatch rescue and relief teams with adequate supplies to these far-flung areas failing which many valuable lives might be lost. Moreover, the revenue authorities should be directed to adopt a simple and hassle free procedure of recording the losses suffered by the people either in terms of human lives, animals, crops or houses and properties so that no injustice is done to anybody while considering them for relief.
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