Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 17: While expressing its displeasure over the relief works in J&K and the action taken by the Government on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on the Home Affairs on the rescue, rehabilitation and reconstruction in the aftermath of the floods and land-slides in J&K, the panel of 31 Members from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha pointed out that J&K State has been ill-equipped in terms of fore-warning apparatus in case of such natural calamities.
The 41-Member Parliame-ntary Standing Committee headed by P. Bhattacharya (MP) and comprising of other senior members including Sitaram Yechuri, Vijay Goel, Mallikarjun Kharge, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Kiron Kher, Avinash Rai Khanna, Adhir Ranjan Choudhary etc, in their report submitted to Speaker of the Lok Sabha and also in the Rajya Sabha hardly a week ago, has pulled up the Government expressing displeasure over the insufficient initiatives taken for providing relief and rehabilitation to the flood and rain victims in the J&K State after September 2014 tragedy. The panel paid extensive visit to J&K and met cross section of people and after collecting details presented comprehensive report in both the Houses of Parliament on December 7, 2015.
The Committee pointed out that the relief compensation amount given to victims is very low because the guidelines regarding compensation amount were framed in 2001. The PSC observed that the unprecedented flood situation in J&K led to collapse of the entire economy and immediate steps are required to help the people who have lost their business.
The panel recommended that the Government should undertake assessment of loss of assets and prepare comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction plan. It observed that assistance provided from SDRF and NDRF was for immediate relief and not for compensation of losses. Even after revision of scale in April 2015, the amount is not sufficient for the J&K victims. The panel came to know that there were a number of buildings which were severely damaged and either started shattering or are on the verge of collapse. The owners of these dilapidated buildings need immediate financial assistance. The State Government has projected 2,54,727 damaged houses/ buildings for seeking compensation.
The PSC in its observation has pointed out that despite the claims of the State having early warning system, the J&K is not well equipped in terms of having installed an affective and dependable fore-warning apparatus. Even the State had not enough satellite phones available which resulted into break down of communication system and there was no way to contact the officials at district level and rescue teams and help the trapped persons at various places during flood in Kashmir.
The Committee observed that State Govt received forewarning that State would receive heavier rainfall than the normal but the kind of preemptive measures taken by State Government were not sufficient to withstand the furry of the nature and the result was heavy casualties in terms of human loss and properties including public infrastructure.
Secondly, even with an early warning, the personnel available with the State Govt were not trained making them therefore, incapable to mobilize resources sufficiently in advance. It recommended that some part of funds being released by Centre must be utilized for strengthening communication apparatus as well.
The panel also observed that J&K is not well prepared to combat natural disasters and such States should not be caught on sleeping mode at the time of calamities. It recommended that training and updating of State Government machinery should be on continuous basis and it should always be on alert mode. It appreciated the move of the Centre Water Commission (CWC) for taking measures for opening flood forecasting station at Ram Munshi Bagh near Srinagar and five more such stations in the J&K State.
The Parliamentary Panel observed that the Central Government is furnishing routine reply in the House and elsewhere, and in fact, is shrugging off its responsibility in guiding the State Government to combat the disaster by just pleading that Union Ministry of Home Affairs had issued advisory to all States/ UTs to strengthen disaster management set up.
The PSC is not satisfied with the steps taken by the Government even after the disaster had taken place. It strongly recommended that Central Govt must guide States/ UTs to re-orient the disaster management set up in consonance with region specific geographical features, climate and keeping in view the frequency and possibility of striking of the disaster in the region.
While referring to laying more focus on the reasons behind this massive devastation due to floods, the PSC recommended the State to go for comprehensive flood management. It said that siltation and encroachments have been identified as one of the causes of floods in the State but massive deforestation has brought much devastation. For this Central and State Governments must work jointly to go for large scale afforestation and protect the existing forests by taking stringent measures.
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