State Government is moving fast to provide relief to flood affected people in Jammu region and rebuilding of damage done to public infrastructure. The Chief Minister has conducted two-day survey of the affected area and has a clear picture of the damages done. The next and urgent step is to provide relief and rehabilitation. In this connection, a few days were needed to allow the survey teams to make the estimate of damages. The Revenue Secretary is now equipped with data on the basis of which amount of relief and reconstruction will be released by the Government.
The Revenue Secretary has presented the estimates of damage based on preliminary reports as this: 31 human lives have been lost in the floods while 22 received injuries. More than 5,600 pacca and kachha houses got damaged fully while crop loss has taken place on 1,738 hectares. According to the Revenue Secretary total losses have been estimated at about Rs. 140 crore in both the Divisions of the State. The Chief Minister has announced sanction to an amount of 87.45 crore rupees for relief and restoration works. Public infrastructure has met with much damage in the region and 77.50 crore go to its repair and restoration while 9.95 crore are earmarked as compensation to private property sufferers. We are not sure how the deficit of over 53 crore rupees will be met so that flood sufferers are fully compensated.
As we know the Chief Minister is concerned that the process of relief and reconstruction should be time bound project so that the victims receive much needed succour. It is for the bureaucrats and other Government functionaries to see how quickly distribution of relief amount and undertaking the repairs or reconstruction of infrastructure takes place. It has to be remembered that usually these activities take a long time and the affected people are left to their fate. That should not happen. A monitoring agency should ensure that the amount of relief is provided without hassles.
We would also like to refer to the damages caused to hundreds of houses and habitats in Doda district a couple of months back by earthquake. The Planning Commission has not committed any relief to the victims of the earthquake and the State has to do it on their own. We are not aware whether any relief has been provided to them or not. Their case also needs to be considered sympathetically.
In the light of his visit to the flood affected areas in Kathua and Samba districts and aerial view of the flooded lands, the Chief Minister has struck the right note by saying that since the rivers in Jammu region are casing serious damages to the land and crops year after year, it is necessary to tame them as far as we can. His suggestion that the State Government would take up the issue with the Central Government is in the right direction. We need to protect the crops and save the agricultural land from erosion owing to floods and rains in monsoon season.
The question of providing funds for the reconstruction of Bahu Fort damages has also figured in official narrative on damages by floods. The Chief Minister has assured the Housing Minister that once the report of the Archaeological Survey of India is received and the nature of damages established, funds for repair of heritage monuments would be released. The Chief Minister is conscious of the importance of preserving this heritage site as closely linked to the history of the State. We would expect the ASI to contribute technically as well as financially to the repairing of the damages to this rich heritage. However, the Government should not depend on that and should not wait for the decision of the ASI.
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