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Flood prevention vital too

Kashmir Times. Dated: 10/15/2014 2:05:10 PM

While relief work is going on at tardy pace, there is no effort towards flood prevention and this is a dangerous trend

The government may have finally begun to show some presence distributing relief and clearing some areas of the mess that the recent floods have left behind but the action is quite disproportionate to the severity of the problems which requires multiple action in several key areas. The focus cannot simply be on getting banks and insurance companies to do their bit, providing some meager relief much of which is reported to be getting pilfered by corrupt and unscrupulous persons in and outside the government or in clearing the garbage and ruins of buildings that the flood waters have left behind. The pace of relief work in flood hit areas is still too tardy and too little and with winters not far away, the problem of dealing with the huge population that has been rendered homeless stares in the face. Provision of some tents and some camps here and there cannot suffice. A government that was unable to pump out waters from the flooded areas for almost a month has still not been able to grapple with the enormity of the tragedy, nor is it making enough efforts to seek both central assistance in terms of manpower and expertise and push the Centre to allow international aid agencies to work in Kashmir to make a difference. While relief distribution is only a stop gap arrangement, the government is faced with the enormous challenge of rehabilitation which includes not just rebuilding homes for those rendered homeless but also providing for those rendered jobless and enabling businessmen to recover their losses and rebuilding their enterprises. Not to forget is the need for rebuilding hospitals and educational institutions on a war footing as also looking at the vital aspect of preserving whatever little of heritage and archival value is left in the museums and libraries.
Simultaneously, an important task that needs to be taken on a priority basis has still not figured seriously in the government’s agenda as yet. A much needed effort needs to be put in to strengthen the embankments of the river bodies. Disturbing reports of unscrupulous elements trying to once again encroach upon these areas requires more action than a simple high court verdict directing removal of all encroachments on Jhelum banks from Verinag to Uri. This court verdict needs to be fully implemented in letter and spirit. In fact, the government needs to go beyond this significant step. The floods have badly breached the already weak and neglected embankments of the Jhelum and other water bodies. It should be a matter of priority to fill up these breaches scientifically and effectively. Reports have suggested that some half baked measures have been taken and these breaches are being filled with loose clay and not concrete material. This will expose the Valley to yet another calamity in view of the approaching winters and the likelihood of heavy snow. Therefore, before thinking of restoring other services, the first priority should be to take preventive action in a bid to avoid any immediate small or big scale disaster. In this endeavour, the government, which has all along been in the denial of its poor disaster preparedness, will first of all have to begin with the acknowledgement that there is something drastically wrong in the way the Jhelum’s embankments have been treated with encroached upon catchment areas being willfully ignored for petty benefits and vote bank politics and with money meant for strengthening the embankments getting pocketed. Not to forget is the not so herculean task of putting to use the dredgers for cleaning the river beds, a task that has not been performed for a long time. Cleaning the water bodies should be another priority and the beginning needs to be made first of all by ensuring that all the garbage generated by the floods is disposed off scientifically and not thrown back into the rivers and lakes for the waters to unleash another fury in the near future. It has taken a huge price for everyone to learn that prevention is better than cure. Is the government so complacent as to forget this lesson in so short a span of time.