Nature’s fury, Govt’s apathy
Experts warn of looming health crisis
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 1: Nearly a week after the August 26 rains and flash floods wreaked havoc, thousands of residents in low-lying areas of Jammu continue to reel under appalling conditions with little to no help from the administration. Gorkha Nagar, Peer Kho and Gujjar Nagar were among the worst-hit localities, where the swollen Tawi river burst its banks and submerged entire mohallas, leaving homes, shops and streets under filthy water.
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Inside these inundated homes, nothing has been spared. From clothes to vital documents, furniture to electrical appliances and even kitchen utensils, everything has been destroyed. What remains is layers of muck and mud plastered across rooms and lanes. Beds, mattresses and sofas lie soaked in filth, forcing families to sleep on rooftops or squeeze into makeshift relief camps. For more than seven days, there has been no electricity and no drinking water supply, worsening the misery of already distressed families.
Residents accused the authorities of complete indifference. “We have not received a single bucket of water or even a broom from the administration. It is only NGOs and kind-hearted individuals who brought food, water bottles, clothes and candles,” said Rashid Ahmed of Gujjar Nagar, pointing to the stinking heap of mud outside his home.
Sunita Devi of Gorkha Nagar broke down as she said, “Our entire household is buried in filth. We are trying to clean it with bare hands, but without water supply, it is impossible. The Government has left us to die.”
The lanes in these mohallas have turned dangerously slippery. People, including women and children, are using buckets to manually scoop out mud, but the filth continues to pile up. “We are living worse than animals. Children have no clean space to sit or sleep, and diseases will soon spread if nothing is done,” warned a resident of Peer Kho.
Health experts are already sounding the alarm. With sewage and floodwater stagnating in several pockets, the risk of cholera, diarrhoea and other water-borne infections is real. Yet, despite the looming threat of a public health disaster, no large-scale sanitation drive has been launched by the administration, nor have medical camps been set up in the affected mohallas.
While NGOs and individuals continue to extend help, the absence of official machinery has deepened the anger of flood victims. “This is not just nature’s fury, this is man-made suffering,” alleged a group of locals.
As public outrage builds, sharp questions are being raised of the District Administration and the UT Government: Why has organized relief not been provided even after a week? Why no power restoration, no water supply, no sanitation measures? Until accountability is fixed and urgent action taken, residents warned, Jammu’s flood-ravaged mohallas will remain stark symbols of administrative failure.
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