Few hours of downpour exposes claims of flood preparedness in Kashmir: Tarigami
Veshu Nallah in Kulgam needs immediate flood-control measures to mitigate threat downstream
Srinagar, July 25: CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said a few hours of downpour on Thursday once again exposed the hollow claims of flood preparedness in Kashmir. A spell of heavy showers in the morning caused water-logging in many places in the Valley and capital Srinagar city as well. Several localities in the city were submerged in rainwater on Thursday.
He said Veshu Nallah in Kulgam district, one of the high-gradient tributaries in the upstream of Jhelum River needs immediate flood-control measures to mitigate the threat downstream. To reduce to velocity of floodwaters and slow down and stagger the flood peak of the Veshu during high magnitude floods which results in the flooding of the south Kashmir and downstream, it is necessary to take appropriate measures in the entire Veshu basin, particularly in the mountainous watersheds.
For short-term and long-term flood mitigation in Kulgam district, it is important to identify on priority various engineering and non-engineering measures to reduce the risk of the people and infrastructure in the district to flooding.
“Any flood control and mitigation measures for Veshu nallah will have inter-alia ameliorating impacts on the flood scenario at Sangam and downstream in the Jhelum basin,” he said.
He said there is possibility of construction of a dam or cascade of barrages just downstream of the Aharbal fall, to mitigate the flood situation not in the district, but in Kashmir. The construction of concrete/earthen levee on both sides of the Veshu nallah is a necessary long-term flood protection measure for reducing the risk of the people living in the district to flooding.
However, a short term measure, the river training works in the form of laying out crate wires, stone pitching, spurs, retaining walls etc are immediately required along the vulnerable sections of the nallah, where breaches have been observed in the recent flooding, he added.
