The State in general and Kashmir division in particular witnessed very inclement weather last week. This spring has been unusually wet in the State. Kashmir has witnessed incessant rains while Gulmarg and Pahalgam received mild snowfall. As a result of some geographical formulation, cold, rain and snow have been very frequent creating difficulties of transportation and power supply. Jammu-Srinagar Highway remained closed a number of times owing to heavy rains and the fear of landslides that could cause a threat to the vehicular traffic. Though the streams and nullahs and river Jhelum were in spate yet according to the officials of the Flood Control Department there was no threat of floods in the Valley because at Sangam the level of water was 18 feet while the danger mark is 24 feet. But incessant rains have caused water logging in low lying areas of the valley especially in the city of Srinagar. Most of the downtown Srinagar and many other areas are all water logged with 2-3 feet standing water at some places. City traffic has been disrupted and normal life paralyzed.
The rains have exposed the inability of the Flood Control Department to dewater many congested sites in the city. Either there is lack of adequate de-watering equipment with the Department or there is complacency on the part of responsible functionaries. Failing to de-water many places in the city has caused public anger because movement has been obstructed. The Government should learn a lesson from it and provide the concerned department with adequate de-watering mechanism be it machine, manpower or funds.
It is also important that DCs of Kashmir Division should be asked to prepare a list of the people whose houses and cattle have suffered damages owing to incessant rains so that they are provided succour. The survey should also include the cases in which crops have been damaged as has been reported by some farmers in Jammu division. They also need to be provided support.
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