Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, State Secretary CPI(M) and MLA who has been touring the flood affected areas of South Kashmir for the last several days, has expressed deep concern and sorrow on the damage caused to a number of villages and small habitations located near the banks of Viow, Jhelum rivers, Sandranand and Brengi nallahs. Apart from demolition of residential houses and washing away of crops and cultivable land, the flood waters, heavy rains and hail-storm have destroyed paddy, maize, vegetables, apple and the walnut crops rendering the entire farmer community miserable and helpless. The paddy crop which has not been waed away has suffered due to hail and extreme cold. It is standing seedless and unripe. The damage ranges from 80% to total loss. Similarly the apple crop hit by the hail-storm has been damaged by the falling of leaves and Alternarea disease. In the upper reaches of the South Kashmir especially in Pir Panchal range, the Chopans, epherds and Gujjar-Bakerwals have lost their live-stock in large numbers due to fla floods and extremely heavy rains.
Tarigami has urged the district administrations and the concerned departments to assess the losses at the earliest so that the sufferers are compensated without further delay. He has demanded free ration to the flood victims, including the affected farmers and live-stock owners. He urged the government to waive off all the agricultural loans, including those advanced under KCC scheme and restored the inundated land under MGNREGA Scheme. Tarigami also expressed his grave concern on the vast damage caused to irrigation canals and PHE schemes. He demanded early reconstruction and restoration of the irrigation kuhls and PHE schemes, so that they could be made functional. He asserted that almost entire South Kashmir is facing acute shortage of clean drinking water which can result in the spread of several diseases. Tarigami also stressed on the govt. to give first priority to the restoration and supply of clean drinking water in Srinagar city, especially in those areas which are still submerged. He expressed surprise over meager payment of compensation for the damaged houses ranging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 75,000 and demanded enhancement in the compensation amount to enable the flood affected victims to reconstruct their houses before the onset of winter season. (KNS)