CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has said that government has not learnt lessons from September 2014 deluge and has urged for inviting experts from across the country to formulate a comprehensive flood management plan.Speaking on the demand for grants of Irrigation, Flood Control and PHE departments in Legislative Assembly today, the CPI (M) leader said that almost two years have passed but government has not initiated any process aimed at developing a long-term flood risk reduction strategy in Kashmir.Demanding white paper on devastation caused due to September 2014 deluge, Tarigami said that whenever there is a catastrophic event, governments immediately commission studies, hold investigations and consultations to understand the causative factors and lapses, however no such initiative either from centre or state seems to have been initiated to study the 2014 deluge.
The CPI (M) leader said that time and again we have been demanding measures for staggering the flood peaks of the high radiant tributaries including Veshu which pour huge amounts of flood waters in Jehlum, but government seems to be least bothered. We had 3 flood alerts last year, none of which fortunately turned into deluge downstream but large areas in the Veshu and adjacent catchments were inundated, he remarked. Why doesn’t government put in place Flood Early Warning System (FEWS), so that people are saved from the recurrent agony about flooding as and when it starts raining, he questioned.Demanding serious introspection by the government, he said that people are feeling desperate and disillusioned due to governance deficit and added that we need adequate funding for developmental projects instead of making tall promises. (KNS)