Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 6: As improvement in the weather conditions is likely from tomorrow, massive challenges will start haunting the State Government that too at the fag-end of its tenure. Keeping in view the intensity of damages, the Government will have to race against the time to ensure restoration of at least three basic facilities—power, water and road connectivity to the huge affected populace.
As per the preliminary reports received by the Government from its field functionaries in the length and breadth of the State, the basic but most important sectors like power, water and road have become the worst victims of heavy rainfall, flash floods and mudslides and their restoration in time-bound manner would be a daunting task for the administration.
Around 1800 Water Supply Schemes—nearly 1200 across the Jammu region and over 550 in Kashmir valley have been damaged due to heavy rainfall and flash floods during the past four days. Similarly, more than one thousand electric poles, huge length of HT and LT lines besides four major transmission towers have been uprooted and damaged during this period.
As far as road sector is concerned, preliminary reports indicate that around 150-kilometer road length in different parts of the State, which falls under the domain of R&B Department, has been damaged. Besides, National Highways being maintained by various other agencies, have also suffered immense damage. At some places, these agencies would have to carve out new stretches to make the highways traffic worthy.
Disclosing that 60 bridges have suffered damages, official sources said that restoration of majority of bridges would take long time and during this period lakhs of people will have to make use of alternate routes to reach their destinations. Quoting examples of fourth bridge on River Tawi, Phallian Mandal bridge and another one in Rajouri, sources said that it would take months to make severely damaged bridges motorable. Only 20 meter portion of the 200 meter span vital bridge in Rajouri district remained intact while as rest of the portion has been washed away in the floods.
Stating that restoration of roads would take less time as compared to the bridges, sources said that the concerned authorities would have to first conduct safety checks of those bridges and culverts which have suffered even minor damages before starting repair work so as to ensure that they don’t fall victim to the future rains. “In such a situation restoration of road connectivity to huge area would be a daunting task for the Government”, they added.
About the power sector, they said that erection of poles and stringing of HT/LT lines would not take much time as compared to major transmission towers, which have suffered extensive damage particularly in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. The irony of the situation in these districts is that till the restoration of major transmission towers it would not be possible to provide power supply to the people, they added.
The Power Development Department will also have to check the ground strength of such towers in those areas where huge landslides and flash floods have taken place so that necessary corrective measures could be taken in time.
Majority of around 1800 water supply schemes damaged during the past four days have completely been vanished from the ground more particularly in Jammu region and nobody knows whether the machinery remains struck in the mudslides or washed away in flash floods, sources said.
“Till the restoration of these schemes, the Government is required to make alternate arrangement of water supply, which again is a daunting task for the concerned authorities”, they added.
Clearance of debris from the seasonal nullahs, strengthening of breached portions, assessment of loss to the houses and other buildings both in Government and private sector, assessment of losses to the crops and orchards would also be challenging task for the Government following improvement in the weather conditions.
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