Flood Fury in Jammu
The District Administration has geared up in Jammu and ordered closure of educational institutions and the red alert has been sounded as floods have gripped Jammu again. Flood fury has engulfed Jammu immensely and this started with the unfortunate cloud burst of Chisoti enroute Mata Machail Yatra. Since then the Jammu region is witnessing a series of cloud bursts in various districts. Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Doda and many other areas are under the grip of floods. The Tawi river and other water bodies are flowing above the danger mark. Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims also lost their lives and the yatra has been suspended to avoid casualties. The last fortnight has brought to the fore many shortcomings in terms of disaster preparedness besides the loopholes in the infrastructure. The roads are in bad condition with water logged at various places causing immense trouble to the commuters. Driving is not safe as the roads are potholed. Electricity supply and water supply is badly impacted with people facing immense difficulties as drinking water is unavailable. Water tankers are in heavy demand. Electricity supply is out of order at various places. The last fortnight must make the authorities take stock of this emergency situation and devise a comprehensive plan to overcome these shortcomings so that there is a disaster management plan in place that will mitigate the sufferings of the people. In these times of technological advancements when the weather monitoring system equips the policy makers to devise preemptive strategies well in time; the crisis can be averted. If not completely but to the greater extent. Many areas in Kashmir are also under the grip of heavy monsoon rainfall. There is an immediate need to place the disaster management system on high alert with a focus on saving lives and reducing the infrastructural devastation. It would have been better if the educational institutions of all hues; be it schools, colleges and universities are closed for a considerable period of time. Instead of closing these institutions for a day in a reactive measure the authorities must declare holidays till weather is stabilized. So that precious lives are saved. There are reports that in some colleges in Jammu region teachers are being coerced to attend duties in spite of threatening weather conditions. This must not happen. The sudden pouring of heavy rains and collapse of the national highways besides the landslides is deadly for those travelling on long routes. As such traffic movement must be suspended and people traveling to join duties under pressure must be stopped. College principals must be given strict instructions for not forcing teachers to join duties amid the deadly weather conditions. This is inhuman. Due to inclement weather many people while traveling on the national highways have got stuck in the previous fortnight. In fact helpline numbers must be made available or portals created for reporting the coercion to join duties by the principals or the heads of institutions. Violation of the government orders must be dealt with strictly. Saving precious lives matters at this time when weather predictions reveal heavy rainfall.At all levels government agencies and non-governmental organizations should be kept ready to deal with impending dangers of the flood fury.There is a need to create rescue camps at safer places in Jammu and its adjoining areas so that people are not gripped by fear psychosis.
