Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Apr 11: Union Home Secretary, L C Goyal today directed the administration to take protective measures of strengthening the bunds of rivers and their drudging immediately so that 2014 like floods that led to massive devastation in Kashmir are avoided. He also urged them to expedite the rehabilitation of the last year’s flood victims.
Goyal, who chaired the flood review meeting of the officers here in Srinagar, urged them to take short term and long term measures for dealing with the flood threat which Kashmir valley is facing. He asked them that such measures should be taken that would lead to avoiding the 2014 like eventuality in future.
The Home Secretary urged the administration to give focused attention towards the necessary protective measures like drudging of rivers, streams and construction of protection bunds along the rivers and rivulets. He urged them that all measures be put in place to evade any such devastation in future. It may be mentioned here that over 250 people were killed in last year’s floods and property worth around Rs one lakh crore was destroyed.
The administration gave a detailed presentation to the Union Home Secretary about the devastation caused by the last year’s floods and measures taken by the administration to avoid such a situation in future. They said that bunds have been strengthened and their level has been raised. They told the officer that there was no breach in recent floods and the plugged breaches of September 2014 floods withstood it.
The administration also apprised Goyal about the dredging of the rivers and flood channel and told him that in the long term measures a new flood channel from South to North can take the pressure of river Jhelum and existing flood channel.
The Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control, Javed Jaffer, apprised the Home Secretary about the various measures to be taken immediately for reducing the flood threat in future. He said that short term measures involve the dredging of rivers and strengthening the bunds but he clarified that in case of high discharge, the Valley is under flood threat.
The CE told Home Secretary that present water carrying capacity of Jhelum and flood channel is 35,000 to 40, 000 Cusecs and after dredging it can be brought to 60, 000 Cusecs. He, however, told Goyal that last year flood discharge was over one lakh cusecs which the river can’t take even after taking short term measures.
Jaffer told him that there is need for separate flood channel from South to North and the existing water bodies that were being used as flood basins should be dredged so that their capacity to store flood water is increased.
Goyal told the divisional administration that he will take up the matter of dredging of water bodies of Kashmir with Secretary Ministry of Water Resources Government of India.
The Home Secretary urged upon the administration to expedite the relief and rehabilitation process of last year’s flood victims.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Gazanfar Hussain, apprised the Union Home Secretary about the relief and rehabilitation measures taken by the administration. He informed him that around Rs 161.27 crores have been disbursed to people for over 1.7 lakh damaged structures besides ex-gratia relief amounting to Rs one lakh per fully damaged concrete house and Rs 50, 000 per fully damaged kucha house has also been distributed to 8595 beneficiaries by direct transfer of money into their bank accounts.
The Home Secretary was informed that an amount of Rs. 426 crores has been sanctioned and placed at the disposal of NDMA for its further transfer into the bank accounts of the flood victims. The bank details of affected people are being collected for submission to the NDMA. He was also informed that Rs. 14.87 crores have been disbursed on account of rent in favour of 13640 affected families.
Gazanfar Hussain also appraised the Home Secretary about the package forwarded to the Government of India for rehabilitation and restoration of private and public properties and revival of business sector in Kashmir.
The Deputy Commissioners, Chief Engineers and other Heads of various Departments also apprised the Home Secretary about the measures taken for the relief of the people. They urged for support of Centre Government for the rehabilitation and revival of private and public sectors.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary Planning, BR Sharma, all Deputy Commissioners of the Valley, Vice Chairman LAWDA, Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Chief Engineers of Irrigation and Flood Control, R&B, PHE and PDD.
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