http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/sleepless-in-kashmir/article7061855.ece
Sleepless in Kashmir
It is just six months after the devastating floods of September 2014, but the residents of the Kashmir Valley have again
been spending sleepless nights, scared that water would overwhelm their
homes and lives. Though the levels in the Jhelum have fallen from the
recent high, the clear and present danger that the river poses to the
Valley’s residents has not abated. The unseasonal rain has once again
put people at risk, even as agriculture and tourism face nature’s
onslaught. And it is not as if the problem is restricted to the Valley —
the Jammu-Srinagar highway remains shut following landslips and the
Army averted a major disaster in Zanskar following one. All this points
to a single conclusion: that this strategic region is hugely vulnerable,
something that bears little repetition given what happened in September
2014. It is ironic that the State government had just submitted a
Rs.44,000-crore rehabilitation package for the deluge of 2014, in which
nearly 300 people died.
The State’s summer capital had turned into a
large lake in 2014, leaving the government and the administration as
helpless spectators. Much has been written about how with unplanned
urbanisation drainage channels have been choked in the Valley, creating
the potential for large-scale flooding following prolonged spells of
rain. In the absence of proper drainage systems, it is more than likely
that the flood threat will remain. There has also been massive siltation
of lakes, with many wetlands lost forever. All this information and
more was hammered home in the wake of last year’s catastrophe, but the
real question is: have the lessons been learnt? Are the State and
Central governments better prepared today than they were last time? Will
they be able to tackle the varied natural-humanitarian disasters that
may lie ahead?
A Central Minister was sent from Delhi to study the situation, and one
can only hope there is better preparation all round. It is fortuitous
that the Centre and the State are on the same page with a BJP-PDP
coalition government in power. According to Union Minister of State
Jitendra Singh, the Indian Space Research Organisation was collecting
detailed data on the prevailing situation, which were being shared with
other agencies. The Army, the National Disaster Response Force, the
police and the civil administration all need to work in tandem. At the
same time, unplanned and unchecked urbanisation needs to be curbed
firmly if the region and its people are to be sheltered from the threat
of repeated floods. Our urban development strategies need to take a
different, sustainable course.
(Courtesy: The Hindu dated 3rd April 2015)
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