Srinagar: M Y Tarigami, CPI(M) leader and MLA Kulgam, has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the devastating cloudburst at Chosoti in Kishtwar on Thursday afternoon, which triggered flash floods along the route to the annual Machail Mata Yatra.
Calling it a “deeply sad moment for all,” Tarigami said the tragedy, which left several dead and many injured, demands an immediate and coordinated response. “The government should announce compensation for the deceased without delay, ensure proper treatment for the injured, and expedite rescue operations,” he said.
He warned that Jammu and Kashmir, being an ecologically fragile region, are among the most vulnerable to climate change in the Indian Himalayan region. “Jammu and Kashmir’s fragile environment is under increasing strain from multiple factors — from global warming and reckless urban growth to deforestation and the neglect of our water bodies. Over the past two decades, the signs of climate change have become unmistakable, with erratic weather bringing drought-like conditions in some areas and devastating flash floods, windstorms, and cloudbursts in others,” he said.
Recalling similar disasters in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Tarigami said such incidents are “wake-up calls” for policymakers and the administration. “We must learn lessons from these tragedies and develop effective responses to such calamities and emerging challenges before they cause even greater losses,” he said.
Quoting recent environmental studies, he said that in recent years, Jammu and Kashmir have witnessed a rise in cloudburst incidents, with several districts hit by flash floods in the past few months. “Jammu and Kashmir today stands on the brink of an environmental disaster. Unless we act to safeguard our fragile ecosystem and conserve our natural resources, we risk endangering not just our present, but the future of generations to come,” he added.
