Incessant rains for two days and the entire Kashmir was almost flooded. People living near the banks of river Jehlum lived two more nights of uncertainty shifting their house-hold items from one floor to another as the water level in Jehlum continued rising. However, the rain gods showed some mercy and the weather improved thus receding the water level and allowing the people to breathe easy. The Governor administration did a good job and tried its level best to keep the situation under control and the improvement in the weather conditions thwarted a catastrophe like 2014. However, the bigger question that the flooding has posed is that have the authorities and people really learnt any lesson from 2014 deluge? Answer is a big NO.
Following the floods of 2014, the main focus of the government should have been to take steps to avoid such disasters. But, last few days of June proved that nothing much has been done on this front. While the ordinary people, through different media outlets, were being told, day in and day out, that the government is busy dredging the river Jehlum to ensure that situation like 2014 doesn’t arise in the future, fact of the matter is that nothing of the sort has been done. Two days of rains dashed previous government’s tall claims to ground and people have rightly started asking questions that where those hundreds of crores meant for Jehlum dredging have gone. As the previous government miserably failed to carry on Jehlum dredging project, the people too have failed their own-selves by still being engaged in the encroachment on the banks of Jehlum. The people have to understand that by making unplanned constructions along the banks of the Jehlum, they are pushing Kashmir towards a disaster which may be much worst then that of 2014.
It may be recalled here that in September 2014, devastation in Kashmir was the result of 6-day-long incessant torrential rains, however, this time round, the floods stared dangerously in the eye of Kashmir just after incessant rains of two days. This reality is an indicator that nothing has been done for drudging of river Jehlum and the money meant for it has ended up God knows where. While one has to appreciate the efforts of the Governor administration that it made during the flood threat this time and thus managed to save lives and properties, one would appreciate further if this administration takes steps to find out where the crorers of rupees meant for Jehlum dredging have gone. People have been talking about this issue from quite sometimes but the political bosses never cared to come up with the facts and figures. It is therefore responsibility of the Governor and his team to take the issue seriously; find out where the money has gone and; name and shame the culprits who for their petty greed are pushing Kashmir towards a disaster.
