Jammu: Union Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh Saturday directed officers to conduct an extensive survey to identify landslide-prone zones in Ramban district for long-term disaster mitigation and suggested engaging the Geological Survey of India for the study.
Chairing a high-level review meeting in the cloudburst-hit district, which is part of his Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, the minister said the survey would identify the landslide-prone areas in this region to prevent future catastrophes.
Singh expressed serious concern over the increased frequency of cloudbursts in the area and said topographical change and climatic shifts pose forecasting challenges.
Proactive scientific interventions can go a long way in minimising risks, he said.
The Union minister suggested engaging the Geological Survey of India (GSI) for the mapping exercise.
Three people were killed while houses and other infrastructure, including the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, were extensively damaged following flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains and cloudbursts in Ramban on April 20.
At the meeting, Singh said Banihal town will soon have a new weather forecasting system, providing localised updates every three hours. He also directed the district administration to expedite the restoration of water and electricity supply in the affected areas.
Unauthorised construction in environmentally sensitive zones must be discouraged, Singh said and called upon people to play a proactive role in identifying and prohibiting construction in such areas.
Singh commended the district administration’s swift response to the recent emergency and lauded the coordinated efforts of the civil society, local bodies, and government agencies as a reflection of a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society” approach.
The minister assured people that this would not be a one-time meeting but part of a continued engagement to strengthen disaster response systems.
Touching on public health concerns, Singh highlighted that one of the government’s immediate priorities after the disaster was ensuring access to clean drinking water.
He affirmed that proposals from the district administration for special relief packages have been sent to the Union ministries concerned and were under active consideration.
