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Peanuts for elephantine disaster

Kashmir Times. Dated: 7/1/2015 7:48:30 PM

Delayed and paltry flood relief shows insensitivity of Centre, adds insult to injury of victims

Two senior leaders and MPs from PDP have called for pulling out of the coalition with the BJP over the issue of central assistance particularly with respect to flood relief. The suggestions have been made after the announcement of a paltry assistance and an additional amount of Rs 1600 crores from the National Disaster Relief Fund, ten months after entire Jammu and Kashmir was badly hit by the worst ever floods and landslides, particularly the Valley, where 12 lakh population alone was affected. To worsen the shocking gap between the loss and what is offered, the state government has been handed a bill of Rs 500 crore by the army for expenses incurred by it in making several sorties and other forms of rescue operations. The relief package in all its entirety has been aptly described by many as 'rubbing salt over the wounds'. The scale and magnitude of the damages due to floods in Kashmir were phenomenal and unprecedented and demanded a generous and an unprecedented response. However, it may be recalled that both the rescue operations and relief funding were marked by glaring delays and shortcomings. The final package being offered is not even a fraction of what the state government had asked for. The previous National Conference government after an assessment had projected a demand of Rs 44,000 crores as relief package. Needless to point out that the assessment of losses was quite sketchy, as it appeared to have skimmed only through the surface. The losses neither took into account the long term impact of the immediate destruction, the people who have lost their livelihoods due to losses of business houses and entrepreneurs, the period of non-productivity and the impact of the disaster on the areas within the state that have not even been hit by the floods or landslides. The economy of the regions of Kashmir valley and Jammu region is interdependent and the cumulative losses incurred in the entire state due to the disaster were never factored into this assessment. Trade organizations in the Valley had pegged the economic losses including the agricultural losses at over 1 trillion rupees with 2.5 times cascading effects. In the face of these assessments, the response of the Centre, marked by clear insensitivity and contempt, is a cruel joke.
So far, the government has received only a fragment of the amount demanded, which includes the amount already at the disposal of the State Disaster Relief Fund. After the army bill is cleared, this amount would be too meager to meet the demands of the people. Shockingly, the amount received so far includes the food packets, blankets and other supplies sent as immediate relief by the Centre in September. Needless to point out that this relief was marked by poorly organized system of delivery and distribution as vast areas of the state remained totally cut off due to heavy rains and landslides and questions marks were also raised over the sub-standard quality of goods and the little quantity being supplied. That may be a familiar scenario in every disaster hit area across the country. However, Jammu and Kashmir did become an exception as the centre virtually turned down international aid to meet the demands and put roadblocks in the relief work being carried out by NGOs at every level. Nonetheless, NGOs and individuals from within the state and outside did commendable job in both rescue operations and aid work. The efforts of young boys in the Valley moving to and fro with their boats and unique contraptions as the Valley was submerged in over 10 feet flood water turned out to be far more successful than the operations conducted by the air force and the army. The partially successful official rescue operations, however, were projected as a major humanitarian intervention and the faithful electronic media became hamstrung by focusing on the heroism of the army to brand the flood victims as 'ungrateful'. The Rs 500 crore bill to be paid out of the paltry sum announced by the Centre adds to the sense of humiliation which will have ramifications beyond the simple economical distress.
The challenges thrown by the devastating rains and floods in Kashmir and elsewhere in the state in September 2014, need measures on a much higher scale and on a war footing. The relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction does not only require liberal cash assistance, it needs off the beaten track efforts like policy interventions, debt waivers, insurance policy deliveries, tax holidays and soft loans. The losses due to private property, crops, fruits, livestock, merchandise, transport, business losses to trade and industry including tourism industry etc need to be fully or adequately compensated. The public infrastructure with reconstruction of roads, bridges, strengthening of embankments of water bodies, hospitals and educational institutions to be taken on priority basis. This would require a whopping amount. This is the least the Government of India can do and is morally obliged to, failing which the PDP may indeed be left with no option but to pull out.