Omar Abdullah questions flood preparedness in J&K, seeks accountability post-2014
KINS Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 28 (KINS): Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday expressed serious concern over the recurring flood-like situations in Jammu and Kashmir, questioning the measures taken by authorities since the devastating 2014 deluge.
Referring to the recent rains that triggered panic across several districts and created flood like situation , Omar according to news agency KINS, said it was alarming that just two days of precipitation had led to near-flood conditions. “For rains of two days, we are facing floods. During 2014, we witnessed the disaster after eight days of continuous rainfall,” Omar said, while hinting at lapses in preparedness.
He said he would soon convene a meeting with officers to review the government’s response since 2014 and to assess the utilization of funds earmarked for flood mitigation.
“I will soon hold a meeting with officers to know where the money has gone which was meant for increasing the carrying capacity of rivers or for dredging of Jhelum,” he said.
Omar questioned why the authorities had failed to implement long-term preventive measures despite repeated warnings from experts and painful lessons of the past. “We need to know what measures are required. How long will we continue living like this, that two days of rains push us into floods?” he asked.
In September 2014, Kashmir faced one of its worst floods in over a century when the Jhelum breached embankments after prolonged rainfall, submerging large parts of Srinagar and other districts. Thousands were displaced and property worth thousands of crores destroyed. (KINS)
