Jammu and Kashmir government seems least interested to be prepared to deal with natural disasters despite state being declared prone to natural calamities.According to the disaster management plan report, 13 districts in J&K out of 100 districts in India have been identified as ‘multi hazard districts’ and has called for pro-active, holistic and comprehensive approach towards disaster risk reduction and management.The report says that most parts of Kashmir valley covering the districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Budgam, Anantnag and parts of Jammu, Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar come under Seismic Zone V and are prone to earthquakes. While as areas along major highways particularly Ramban, Panthial, Banihal, Doda, Kishtwar, Gulmarg, Dawar, Gurez, Tangdhar, Rajouri are landslide prone. During winters, the region mostly faces disasters like snow avalanche, land sliding due to its peculiar topography, rugged terrain and extreme weather conditions.
The state’s vulnerability to natural disasters clearly indicate that there is a dire need of having well equipped agencies to deal with natural disasters.For the last two years, the state was hit by several natural disasters from 2014 year September floods to snow avalanche in January, land sliding and recent earthquakes.Ironically, the government does not seem to have learned any lessons as it has failed to equip the agencies which could deal with these disasters to mitigate sufferings of people at a time when any natural calamity hit the state.In July last year, the state Cabinet approved state’s first-ever disaster management plan. The government had said the plan is aimed at reducing the state’s vulnerability to hazards and enhance human and institutional capabilities to cope with disasters and natural calamities in a more effective manner.Sources said despite having passed months together, there has been no progress in implementation of the disaster management plan.
“No work has been started for its implementation and it has been confined to papers,” an official of Revenue and Rehabilitation department said.Two battalions of auxiliary forces were converted into State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in 2012. However, the SDRF is still ill-equipped and its forces are not in a position to deal with any emergency at the time of any natural calamity. Its men have also been assigned other duties like security.“We don’t have a proper training centre in Kashmir nor do we have equipment to make rescue operation during any natural calamity. The state government must learn a lesson from the Tamil Nadu government how it has equipped its agencies to deal with natural disaster like they did in recent floods,” an official of SDRF said.A senior official admitted that SDRF lacks equipment and proper training to deal with natural calamities. “This issue is in active consideration of the government and efforts are on to fully implement the disaster management plan,” the official maintained. (KNS)