Rajesh Gupta
Srinagar, Sep 4: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hit out at those who were at the helm of affairs in Jammu and Kashmir after 2014 floods, saying they did nothing to ensure floods do not recur in the valley.
Omar said the past 11 years were “wasted” and asserted that the situation would have been different if the Jhelum river and its flood channel had been dredged.
He added that we will have to ask questions about what was done after the 2014 floods in Kashmir. Those who were ruling here have done nothing that would have ensured floods do not recur,” Abdullah told reporters.
River Jhelum spilled over its banks at Shalina in Budgam district in the early hours of Thursday, leading to flooding of several low-lying areas.
Abdullah said the past 11 years, after 2014, were “wasted”. The chief minister said there was no loss of life due to timely action taken by administration which ensured evacuation of people from the flood-affected areas.
Thankfully there is no loss of life due to timely action by the administration but there is damage to property, which should not have been the case. If Jhelum and flood channel had been dredged during the past 11 years, we would not have faced this situation,” he added.
Abdullah said he would write a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for sending a team to Kashmir for assessing the losses due to floods.
A team from the Centre is coming to assess losses in the 10 districts of Jammu division. I will be writing a letter to Home Minister to send the same team to Kashmir as well for assessing the losses due to floods in valley districts,” he said.
Overall, it is a big question on working of top bosses of I&FC Department & above all on Shaleen Kabra, ACS, Jal Shakti, who talks about "Hydraulic Modelling" by which issue of Khad Lands is hanging in fire but if Kabra, as per his words as per ACs Decision dtd 25th July, 2024 followed GO No- 102-JK(Rev) of 2024 dtd 02.08.2024 by in which Chief Engineer, I&FC would have properly exercised Hydraulic Modelling of Rivers, Canal, Khads etc the said situation would have been averted.
However, Govt Order No- 102-JK(Rev) of 2024 dtd 02.08.2024 reads in Para.II in sec (D) as . For determining the width and area of regulated zone / buffer zone, scientificapproach shall be used including the Digital Elevation Model/Digital TerrianModel and Hydrological / Hydraulic Modelling, etc. shall be as per theIII.
E.Standard Operating Procedure finalized by the Divisional Level Committeeafter consultation with Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control [who is theprescribed authority under the Jammu and Kashmir State Water Resources(Regulation and Management) Act, 2010] and also a member of DivisionalCommittee in consultation with domain experts in the field like Survey ofIndia / National Institute of Hydrology / Indian Institute of Technology, etc.
['A Digital Elevation Model (DEM)/Digital Terrain Model (DigitalTerrain Model)' is a 3D computer graphic representation of groundsurface topography or terrain.Hydrological Modelling.
'Hydrological model studies' refer to themathematical model studies to simulate precipitation and run offfrom the drainage basin.Hydraulic Modelling.
'Hydraulic model studies' refer to the study ofmovement of water, indluding the volume and rate of flow as itmoves through a watershed, basin, channel, or man-madestructure]
|