omar-to-seek-answers-from-officials-on-flood-preparedness

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said his government would seek answers from the administration on what flood prevention measures were taken in Jammu and Kashmir after the 2014 deluge.

 

His remarks came after flash floods, caused by days of heavy rain, hit Jammu and swelled rivers and water bodies in Kashmir, including the Jhelum.

 

"There were heavy rains in both Jammu as well as in Kashmir. God saved us. Had the rainfall continued for a day or more, we would have faced immense difficulties. But the water has started receding. It recedes faster in Jammu and takes some time here in Kashmir. We are out of danger, but I will have to sit with the officers and understand what we have done after 2014," Abdullah told mediapersons here.

 

He said just two days of rain had pushed Kashmir to the edge of flooding.

 

"What will happen if it rains for four days? We will face a situation like 2014. We had then (2014) endured it (rainfall) for seven days and drowned on the eighth day. But now, we endured two days of rains with difficulty," he said.

 

Abdullah stressed that corrective steps were needed as people cannot live in fear of floods every year.

 

"After some days, I will sit with the officers and try to understand what we did after 2014. Where was the money spent? How much carrying capacity of the flood channel was increased? How much did we succeed in increasing the carrying capacity by undertaking dredging in the Jhelum? "We have to take corrective measures wherever we are lagging...," he said.

 

Earlier, Abdullah visited the Hazratbal shrine on the banks of Dal Lake to review arrangements for the upcoming Eid-Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad. He directed departments to ensure proper facilities for devotees.

 

J&K Assembly suspends all committee meetings till Sept 5

 

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly has suspended all committee meetings till September 5 because of the ongoing bad weather on Thursday. The region has been battered by heavy rains for days, leading to flash floods and landslides in many areas.

In a statement, the Assembly Secretariat said meetings of all House Committees, including financial and other panels, had been postponed or cancelled. Since the administration is fully focused on dealing with the crisis, it was decided to defer the meetings until September 5.