The Supreme Court has reacted strongly on a petition appealing for intervention in J&K relief and rehabilitation efforts of the Central and State Governments. The SC Bench headed by the Chief Justice appreciated that the Central Government had moved with all speed and structure to rescue people in areas of Srinagar that got submerged under inundating waters. It noted with satisfaction that nearly 2.5 lakh people were rescued by the Army, NDRF and State police. Almost all tourists numbering in thousands who had got stranded in Srinagar and other places have been evacuated and airlifted to safer places. Army personnel have demonstrated remarkable dedication to and sense of humanism in rescuing marooned civilians at the risk of their own lives.
This being said, the Supreme Court has found fault with these operations in two areas. Firstly, it has observed, and perhaps rightly so, that entire focus of the Centre and the State Governments has been on the city of Srinagar or district Srinagar. Though some other districts of the Valley are worse hit by flash floods yet authorities fighting the disaster have focused only on Srinagar leaving the other districts to their fate. Naming the districts of Kulgam, Anantnag, Shopian, Pulwama, Ganderbal, Baramulla and Budgam, the Bench has said that no attention has been given to these areas despite the fact that the condition of some of these areas is as worse as of Srinagar.
Even the rural areas in Jammu province, which bore the brunt of this catastrophe need immediate attention of authorities. Several affected areas in Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch need to be provided succor at the earliest possible.
But, of course, this does not mean that the job of the Government comes to an end with the rescuing of marooned people in Srinagar. The Government should now quickly move out to the districts and gear up the machinery that is entrusted with serving the interests of rural Kashmir. We highly appreciate Supreme Court’s concerns for humanitarian aid to the affected people in rural Kashmir but we also understand and recognize the logistic impediments in the way of reaching rural people. It has to be realized that the entire Government was paralyzed as if we lived in a vacuum. The Chief Minister was not joking when he said that for 36 hours he had no Government. Where are the roads, where is the transport as the entire city is submerged in two storey-deep water?
Now that the weather has somewhat stabilized and water has begun to recede from critical areas in the city of Srinagar and roads are beginning to be opened for public traffic, it is obvious that the Government will move fast to the District Headquarters and begin relief work. It has already begun and we recently came to know that there have been some demonstrations at a few places in which people claimed that the quantum of relief was very small and negligible in comparison to losses they had suffered. The PM has appealed to the nation for Kashmir relief donation and the nation has responded warmly. Instructions of the Supreme Court will be carried out in letter and in spirit as is the commitment of the Government.
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