Incessant and continuous rains for last three days have held the entire State in its grip causing vast damage to life, property, crops, roads, culverts, bridges and arable lands. This is unprecedented calamity that has befallen the State. It is widespread and no part has been spared by the furious nature. All the major rivers in the State whether in Kashmir valley or in the Jammu division and their tributaries are in spate and flowing much above the danger mark. Smaller nullahs and streams are all brimming with flood water. Many people have been washed away. 50 baratis who were travelling in a bus in Nowshera were unlucky and got drowned in the flooded nullah.
Dozens of people all over the state have been washed away by gushing waters. Hundreds of houses and structures have been either washed away or have collapsed under heavy rains. Schools and educational institutions have been closed till conditions improve. Terrible damage is done to the electric towers and transmission poles. Dozens of transformers have been rendered dysfunctional and there seems little hope of electric power supply being restored shortly. Entire Rajouri and Poonch districts are in the throes of flood and its devastation. Scores of people caught in the flooded nullahs have been rescued and the injured have been admitted to the hospitals. Major road connectivity in the State has been disrupted as at many places landslides have blocked the National Highway from Jammu to Srinagar. Bridges, culverts, and other installations along the sides of the roads have been damaged. Those who got killed come from different faiths. Therefore it proves our conviction that the treatment meted out by furious and capricious nature to human beings is benign as well as disastrous.
Disaster has struck vast population of the State. We are already struggling hard to strengthen and stabilize our economy and are pulling up resources from different sources to bring our developmental plans to completion so that an atmosphere of prosperity comes to the people. But unfortunately the state has received big setback from these damages caused to men and material by incessant and over flooded rivers and nullahs.
Ahead of us lies huge task of helping the affected population recover from this unpredictable tragedy and disaster. In this hour of crisis it is the duty of all conscientious citizens of the State to come to the succour of the affected families irrespective of their locality, faith, language or anything else. It is the humanitarian duty of the civil society to form teams of relief and rescue within each locality and mohalla and make an appeal to the people to contribute whatever they can in cash and kind to bring some relief to the people. This is a massive tragedy and it will take a long time for recovering from the loss and shock. In particular we are immensely saddened by the loss of human lives that could not be rescued.
In this hour of peril, administration, police and para-militaries have been galvanized into action. Entire administrative machinery has come into motion. Police has established monitoring cells and telephone connection has been established on emergency footing to monitor the situation from hour to hour. Large number of people have been shifted from their houses since it was felt that these residential quarters might get inundated and cause loss of life. Arranging temporary camps for the shifted people in safer places and providing them with foodstuff has been undertaken immediately. The CAPD has distributed food grains in packs of ten and five kilograms to be distributed among the affected families. This is all right but much more things shall have to be done once the downpour stops and other problems crop up. Supply of drinking water and milk for the infants is a dire need of the shifted people. Repair of roads and bridges and culverts is a daunting job which has to be completed without loss of time. Once the rains stop and there is sunshine, the stagnant waters will become another source of peril to human life. Generally cholera and other epidemics spread after floods and standing waters. This shall have to be taken care of.
The role of the army is highly commendable. Battalions of RR have been deployed on rescue work. Scores of people including children and older people have been rescued by the army jawans and paramilitary forces. Even in the tragedy of the killing of 50 baratis in Nowshera, to which we have alluded in the beginning, the army units reached the spot and tried all efforts to rescue the endangered persons. Army units in other vulnerable areas like South Kashmir, Rajouri and Baramulla have also been alerted and commanders have been directed to render any type of help and service they can to the beleaguered people.
With this situation, grim and grave as it is, the State Government will be called upon to perform its role in alleviating the suffering of the people. Since the damages and losses are of very big magnitude, it will need enormous funds to restore the life in the State. This shows what a stupendous task is awaiting the State Government. It would be in fitness of things if the Government constitutes a relief and rehabilitation committee with the terms of reference of submitting its report within one week about the quantum and quality of relief needed for restoration of normalcy. Cash relief to the next of kin of the killed persons should be given forthwith. Of course, some reconstruction works that entail lot of time will not be done immediately but the foremost task to be attended is providing foodstuff, water, medical assistance, shelter and life saving drugs to the destitute. As the entire state is badly affected, adequate funds shall have to be provided for helping them out of their peril. Revenue Department alone cannot do that. Above all cooperation from civil society, NGOs and other philanthropic organizations should be made available to the sufferers. Of course the Prime Minister will sanction financial support from PM’s fund and hopefully other States will also offer their share as a gesture of goodwill for the people of the State.
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