A statement of the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) issued here said that the GCC, a non-political collective of retired civil servants, judges, and other professionals, convened to address pressing issues affecting Jammu and Kashmir, with a particular focus on Kashmir.

“One of the primary concerns raised during the meeting was the J&K’s flood preparedness. The GCC noted with alarm that the level of readiness for flood events has seen little improvement since the devastating floods of 2014. In light of this, the GCC issued a stern warning to the J&K government, urging immediate action to implement effective flood prevention and mitigation measures. The collective emphasised the need for robust strategies to minimise damage to life and property, particularly in the event of another flood on the scale of 2014,” the statement said.

The GCC also deliberated on the Srinagar Smart City project, expressing dissatisfaction with the current focus.

The group finalised a draft presentation calling for a reassessment of the project’s priorities.

It urged the authorities to prioritise essential infrastructural improvements like road widening, drainage enhancements, sewage treatment, and solid waste management.

“This appeal aims to address critical issues that affect daily life and public health in the city,” the statement said.

In addition to the primary issues, the GCC discussed the new Wakaf Bill 2024, which has been referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

“The collective decided to submit its concerns regarding certain provisions of the bill to the JPC,” the statement said.

Addressing environmental and community issues, the GCC highlighted the need for a plastic-free approach to wedding functions in Kashmir.

They called for proactive intervention from NGOs and Mohalla Committees to enforce the existing ban on single-use plastics and to encourage citizens and shopkeepers to cease the use of plastic bags.

The GCC also addressed the problem of noise pollution from loudspeakers at religious places.

They proposed a weekly roster system for ‘Azan’ (call to prayer) to ensure that the call for prayers comes from only one Masjid per neighborhood at a time, thereby reducing noise levels.

On the subject of solid waste management, the GCC expressed disappointment with the lack of progress in Srinagar.

They called on the J&K government to improve waste management systems and to focus on the restoration of the city’s lakes, including Brarinambal, Khushal Sar, and Aanchar.

The GCC also advocated for the restoration of existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and the installation of new STPs to meet the city’s growing needs.

The meeting concluded with a unified call for prompt and effective action from the J&K government on these critical issues to ensure the well-being and development of J&K.

The post Flood preparedness needs urgent attention: GCC appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Almost all residential areas, and business spaces were filled with water, inflicting immense damage to the economy. The streets and roads turned into waterways.

The people were cut off from each other, the government was clueless, and it was a battle for existence at the level of an individual and the family, with no means to connect to the outer world for any rescue.

That was the time when a man came forward and did something extraordinary to restore the devastated. Justice M M Kumar (Retd), then Chief Justice of J&K, passed unprecedented orders that went a long way in helping businesses and households to compensate for the loss.

D A Rashid and Wahid Bukhari of Greater Kashmir bring alive the memories of the event by interacting with the man himself, Justice M M Kumar (Retd). 

Q: How did your journey begin in the legal profession?

Justice Kumar: Well, my journey is long. Right from my middle classes, my father was very keen that I should join the legal profession. Even at that stage, he asked me to pursue Urdu classes to have familiarisation with the language because most of the documents in Punjab used to be in Urdu.

After doing my LLB from Punjabi University Patiala, I started my practice in the trial court in district Sangrur and for two years I practiced there. As the dream of my father was to see me very high in the profession, he planned my career abroad. My brother, Dr J M Kumar, was a neurosurgeon in England and he organised my Masters degree there.

In 1979, I went to the UK for higher studies. In 1981, I came back and joined the chamber of a very eminent lawyer at that time, Mr Kuldip Singh who later became the judge of the Supreme Court directly from the Bar, a rare distinction for a lawyer.

In 1984 I was offered a guest faculty job at the University of Punjab, Department of Law and I started there as a part-time teacher. For six years, I taught there and practiced along. So I picked very good practice and became vice president of the Bar Association in 1991. In 1995 I was appointed as additional advocate general of Punjab and then the journey continued. In 2001, I was elevated as judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court and in 2012, I was recommended to be the chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court and took oath as Chief Justice on 8th of June 2012.

Q: In 2014, a devastating flood ravaged Kashmir and you were J&K’s Chief Justice. Can you share your experience of the time, and the event?

Justice Kumar: Well, the experiences during the flood time were full of surprises. There was a big challenge because on early morning of September 8, 2014, the flood engulfed the whole Srinagar and there was hue and cry everywhere. Everyone was taken by surprise as to how it happened. So people were taking shelter on the top of the roofs and it was a very dreadful situation; everyone apprehended that many people would die, but with the grace of God the loss of life was very little, almost negligible.

The High Court was under water to about 8-9 ft. The record was damaged. The Chief Justice’s house was also under water to 7-8ft. I cannot forget the early morning of the 7th of September. Jhelum was overflowing. But nobody imagined that the flood could be of such a magnitude that the houses like Chief Justice’s House will come under water up to 7-8ft and it was just short of touching the roof. And early morning, it was around 2 am when debate was going on between the officials of the High Court and the local administration whether I should shift to Hari Niwas or I should continue to stay in the house. Mr Akhoon, who was my personal secretary at that time, ultimately suggested that there was no harm in going to Hari Niwas. So we decided to pack, and by that time the flood had reached Badami Bagh, very close to the Chief Justice’s house.

In Sonawar Chowk, one could see flood waters flowing. By the morning the Chief Justice house was under 6-ft water and by evening it was 7-8ft. Our four employees were also trapped there and they took shelter on top of the wall adjoining the mosque and by great effort they were rescued and brought to Hari Niwas. The then Governor Mr N N Vohra played a vital role in rescuing the workers and later saving my belongings from the Chief Justice’s House.

After coming to Hari Niwas, there was no clear picture emerging as to what was going to happen next and for how long the situation was going to be like that. So the next question was what to do in this situation. I drafted letter, hand-written by my daughter Dr Nisha, and it was sent to the Governor House which was adjacent to Hari Niwas. So the letter reached Mr Vohra and he in a message said kindly come over.

And we in the evening went to his house and discussed the entire situation and then I requested him that a building may be provided for running the Court. My request through a letter was forwarded to the administration and the Chief Minister held a cabinet meeting in Hari Niwas, and they did not find any solution to my problem and they eventually showed their helplessness.

And ultimately the Governor conveyed to me that they were finding it difficult to find a place. Since I was determined, I told my Registrar General, and after discussion, we found that M-6 Gupkar house was allotted to one Judge who had not occupied it. So I took the tentative decision and took it to the Full Court and all the Hon’ble Judges agreed that let the High Court work from M-6 Gupkar Road.

We informed the Governor that the transit High Court would be M-6 Gupkar road and consulted the members and the president of the High Court Bar Association, and they agreed happily. As the situation was chaotic, I thought a number of petitions would be filed seeking relief and exactly the same thing happened. There was no telephone working and the governor sent me a satellite phone and arranged various types of facilities like temporary washrooms, sitting rooms and tents for lawyers in the lawns of the M-6 Gupkar Road and within two days it was made functional. Interestingly, the Supreme Court had laid down the principle that all the admissions to MBBS, engineering colleges etc.,

should be completed by the end of September. So I had to constitute a special bench to finish those cases as otherwise students could lose their career dream of entering MBBS, MD, engineering colleges or any other profession. I constituted a special bench so that all cases concerning admission were taken care of.

Then a very interesting petition related to insurance claims came and I was informed that people were suffering. Subsequently, thirty more petitions were filed, if I remember correctly. Somebody had insured a house, someone commercial enterprise or shops for fifty lakh, one crore, two crores etc. The insurance companies were right in arguing that unless there was a survey conducted and a report by surveyor submitted, they would not be able to assess the loss and they would not be able to pay. Since the cases were many, they thought it would take two years to settle the claims.

So I told them that the purpose of necessity of having insurance would be defeated. I had the reports that people from Polo View, Lal Chowk and other areas were in deep problems and the Division Bench decided that during pendency of the petition and pendency of report by surveyors, 50% of the insured amount be disbursed. If a commercial establishment was insured for Rs 1 crore, the establishment was directed to be paid Rs fifty lakh immediately so that some relief was given to it.

I had reports that a chemist had thrown all the medicine on the road, likewise cloth merchants; provision store owners were dumping every item on the road. So, when the judgment was delivered, naturally there was some criticism because it was deviating from well settled law that unless there was report from surveyor certifying the loss, no insurance amount could be disbursed. I said extraordinary situation needs extra extraordinary remedy, and therefore I granted this.

Q: Was it difficult to ensure insurance companies comply with the order? Was this a big challenge?

Justice Kumar: This was an extra-ordinary order and there was no doubt about it, and the insurance companies did not keep quite. The then Attorney General of India, Mr Rohatgi appeared and interestingly, the then Chief Justice of India Mr H L Dattu had visited the Kashmir Valley himself.

He had seen the makeshift court. He had seen district court at Lal Chowk in 18-ft water. So he had seen everything, the deluge, the type of sludge which was there in the High court. When the matter was listed before the Supreme Court and the Attorney General argued on the basis of the law, the Chief Justice said that see the house of the Chief Justice of J&K, the plight of the people there, and dismissed the appeal.

After the dismissal, there was no doubt left that the order had to be implemented and with the teeth of contempt, the insurance companies could not have violated the directions. So I issued directions, giving them a week or ten days. So the cheques started pouring in and I could see relief on the faces of people when they were given the cheques.

Even many lawyers whose houses were under water, got the cheques. So I felt very happy that at least they had some interim relief and could be rehabilitated. And shops and commercial establishments could be refurbished. For example, a shop at Lal Chowk had 4-5 floors and at least five people working there and in this way 25 individuals were dependent on one shop. So, look at the type of relief they got. It was a slightly technical way of granting the relief and it was extraordinary to meet the requirement of justice, I think the order was required and it served very well.

Secondly, when you look at the data, if earlier in J&K there were ten people going for insurance, now it is ten times because people now have confidence and now they believe the High Court is there to give them their money. The system has proven right that your insurance is not going to be wasted.

Q: Was the order regarding 50% of payment release an instantaneous thought, or there was any precedence?

Justice Kumar: There was no precedent and there was one policy for small shopkeepers that if an establishment was insured for Rs 10 lakh, Rs 5 lakh had to be paid during the times of flood or fire. So I picked up that policy and expanded it. The Supreme Court was happy to accept this theory which I devised and later on this judgment was followed by other High Courts where floods occurred to enable immediate relief. This is the beauty of the whole thing. The revenue has not suffered but it has gained as the number of insurance cover has increased; more people are opting for it.

Q: How was this directive seen by people, especially the business community?

Justice Kumar: Well, some office bearers of confederation of industry had initially approached me and they approached me later also in the month of November, December and in January 2015. I had to demit office, so I told them that judges do not accept any award, or anything.

The people were very happy and feeling very good and relieved. A number of businessmen wanted to meet me. Then in 2018, I met a few of them and recently they welcomed and hosted me and all this data on manifold increase in insurance cover in Kashmir valley was given to me by Confederation.

Q: Does it all give satisfaction, some pleasure to know that people are happy?

Justice Kumar: I had the satisfaction of doing the job to rescue the people from crises. Another aspect, when I and my wife and daughter were rescued from Chief Justice’s House, they were with me and we came to know about the plight of the people in various camps. My wife is running an NGO and she thought we can disburse some cash but people refused to take cash because people said that they cannot buy anything.

They wanted food, clothes etc., and she gave a call to all the NGOs in Punjab and they got trucks of food, clothes and many other items of day to day use. So the satisfaction. Even the High Court staff disbursed the food and pulses so that people don’t sleep empty stomach. Every effort was made on humanitarian grounds that the people were served to the extent we could. When the Supreme Court upheld my order, it was a great satisfaction that something which I had done was liked by the Apex Court, although it was not strictly in accordance with the law. But the Supreme Court thought it was befitting order in the circumstances to meet ends of justice and equity.

The insurance companies had to shell out hundreds of crores but they got it back and it must be manifold than what they disbursed at that time. That is the beauty of the system and the system has run fully. This is what I liked about it.

Q: You could have worked from Jammu till the flood threat was over?

Justice Kumar: Had I stayed in Jammu, all these things, meeting the Governor, informing him about day to day problems and his conveying it to the Chief Minister and Chief Minister taking the decision could not have happened. Then my meeting the members of the Bar and talking to Judges that the transit court was the need of the hour and everybody agreeing and cooperating would also not have happened.

Given the response filed by authorities to the PIL regarding the post flood scenario, do you see differences then and now, especially in disaster management?

Well, I came recently to Srinagar and on the way, I saw Jhelum. I could see the earth and it means the Jhelum is full of sand and the water intake capacity of Jhelum continues to be the same. It has not improved. I do not know why some measures about de-silting are not taken. It is an expert’s job and it has to be done in an expert manner. It has to be done in a manner that the whole Jhelum is completely de-silted.

It is not the first time that Valley is facing this type of problem, and like world over these problems have been there. Dredging, and de-silting process has to be carried.

Q: Every time it rains for a few days, there is a threat of floods. What is to be done in such a situation?

Justice Kumar: I think somebody has to take a call on emergent basis. You can see what is happening in New Delhi due to heavy rains, completely ravaged, and the water in buildings is 6-ft, with basements completely filled with water. Offices working from basements devastated. So with these management techniques, drainage has to be kept clean. Responsibility has to be fixed and the public has to have civic sense. This is lacking in our country.

Q: When you were Chief Justice of J&K High Court, several PILs had been filed. Your views over implementation of orders?

Justice Kumar: As far as my period is concerned, a large number of PILs came to be filed and orders passed thereon were implemented. There was a chairman of BOPEE against whom one PIL came to be filed, and this matter was taken to logical end, ending up in his sentencing. It was an eye-opener.

The students who were scoring 80%, 90% were not securing admission in the MBBS colleges. The students with lesser marks were admitted and when they failed in their first semester, the people realised what was happening. So Chairman BOPEE, on the directions of the High Court, was arrested and it was a very successful PIL.

I also mention that senior advocate B A Bashir, who was appointed as amicus curiae, did a good job and with Justice Attar, who was my bench partner, we were able to steer through. Then other PIL during my time was hotels discharging waste directly into water bodies; I gave a deadline to hotels to have STPs and refuse must be treated. I realised nobody was taking these directions seriously and I ordered sealing of hotels across the state—Katra, Srinagar, Gulmarg, Pahalgam etc., for not installing STPs; hotels were releasing refuse directly into water bodies and there was likelihood of people falling sick. It was also a successful PIL.

Q: There is a general perception, a PIL is misused. How can this menace be stopped?

Justice Kumar: There is an inbuilt mechanism and there is a committee constituted by the Chief Justice to scan and scrutinise it. Yes, a PIL is also being misused and that misuse has to be stopped. I have no hesitation in saying that even some lawyers misuse the platform to advance the interests of private persons, and the Supreme Court has come down heavily on such practices. There is a duty cast on the high court that if the government fails to do governmental function, like no road connectivity to some village despite the government having knowledge, the High Court’s intervention is must.

The post On this day, exactly a decade before… appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

So far, 20 people have died in the rains and floods which caused damage in several parts of Andhra Pradesh, especially Vijayawada.

In a post on ‘X’, Shah said the Modi government is closely monitoring the flood situation in Andhra Pradesh.

“The MHA today constituted a central team of experts, led by the Additional Secretary (Disaster Management), MHA.

“The team will visit the flood-affected areas for an on-the-spot assessment of flood management, reservoir management, issues of dam safety, etc. and make recommendations for immediate relief,” he said.

On Wednesday, the total number of flood-affected people in Andhra Pradesh rose to 6.44 lakh and 42,707 people have been accommodated in 193 relief camps.

In seven districts of NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, Krishna, Eluru and West Godavari, officials have identified 63,894 families for the distribution of essential items. Thousands of acres of paddy fields were submerged from Bhimavaram to Gudivada. Between Gudivada and Vijayawada, swathes of flooded fields resembled ponds.

As many as 3,312 km of roads across Andhra Pradesh have been damaged. Agricultural crops in 1.69 lakh hectares were damaged and horticultural crops in 18,424 hectares.

The post Govt monitoring flood situation in Andhra Pradesh: Amit Shah appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

The Chief Secretary praised the Divisional and District administration for the steps they have already taken regarding flood preparedness and said that we need to continue work in a coordinated manner in all respects.

Chairing the meeting, the CS called for devising an effective strategy to deal with any eventuality. He called for evolving proper SoPs to deal with the situation where every concerned individual is fully acquainted with his/her role and responsibility in the times of emergency. He directed the officers to remain in a state of alertness to combat any eventuality that may arise.

Asserting that zonal level Committees play a critical role in time of an emergency, Chief Secretary said that they need to be trained and should not be found wanting in any respect. He said that flood response manual should be circulated among all the concerned and should be studied deeply.

Regarding the Decision Support System, CS said that it should be upgraded and supported by Digital Risk Data Base which is an inventory of all the resources, infrastructure etc available in an area so that a proper and coordinated plan is framed and executed in time.

He further called for having a detailed flood mapping/inundation map of each area to act accordingly. He exhorted upon the concerned officers to have proper planning in place to deal effectively with the natural disasters and mobilisation of resources to be done in advance and flood duty charts issued.

Chief Secretary also inquired about the stock position of different flood mitigation items available with the departments in their stores and urged for conducting mock exercises by involving all stake holding departments at ground level.

Administrative Secretaries from respective departments gave details about their preparedness and the steps they have taken to mitigate the possible disasters.

Secretary Health informed that they have  prepared a comprehensive plan like shifting of vital installations, equipment, machinery to meet any contingency. SMC Commisioner informed that they have pre-positioned men, machinery, mobile and static de-watering pumps at the identified locations in Srinagar city. Fire and Emergency department has also kept fire tenders and portable pumps for the purpose as well.

Similarly, all Deputy Commissioners informed the meeting about the flood preparedness in their respective districts.

During the meeting, CS was informed that safety audit of embankments has been completed and temporary measures have been taken, wherever necessary. It was informed that divisional contol room of Irrigation and Flood department at Ram Mushi Bagh is fully functional 24/7. It was also given out that information dissemination is going on and advertisements are flashed on social media, radio, TV etc.

It was given out in the meeting that 24/7 control rooms have been established to monitor the gauge sites and duty roaster of officers along with their contact numbers have been prepared and circulated among all for information.

The post CS chairs flood preparedness meet appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Floods, fires, and famines were supposed to be the traditional disasters of Kashmir – fires are nowadays far less frequent and even less destructive, while the last famine was not in living memory. Floods are still with us, though – now and then.

Srinagar’s problem is the river of course, but one that is self-created. The city continues to expand into the lower reaches of the flood plain. Not one lesson seems to have been learned from the drowning of 2014.

Over the centuries Srinagar has expanded well beyond its origins in the higher contours around Hari Parbat. It was in the 20th century that the worst kind of expansion took place, in Rajbagh, Jawaharnagar, Shivpora and then the colonies beyond Rambagh bridge towards the airport into traditional wetlands through which the flood channel was built to drain the Jehlum of its excess water.

It continues to expand that way: not towards the upper contours of Wagura,  or the slopes of Harwan, or even towards Badgam, but persistently into the low lying paddy fields without sewerage or prospects of natural drainage.

Driving the lateral expansion of the city is the aspiration for the kind of traditional home that people aspire to live in. It’s a cultural thing. Plots is what people want, and that is the driving impulse behind the city’s expansion into a low rise ugly sprawl with narrow roads and open drains. The builders set the tone and direction; Government follows two paces behind with infrastructure; always inadequate, always unplanned, always messy.

Jammu has grown the same way, but there was not much to ruin in Jammu. Srinagar was unique, and still is. Unfortunately, it’s a text book example of bad town planning, or, the absence of it. Its expansion, particularly after 1947 at the start of the era of planned development has been much the way it was before, haphazard and opportunistic, and in all the wrong directions.

But not illogical; it follows the logic of opportunity. The city grew in the direction of the airport where the roads were widened and along ribbons of road construction.  J&K had a law to prevent ribbon development. It proved ineffective in the face of determined builders and pliant officialdom.

Srinagar has grown into low lying areas prone to flooding. As the new emerging classes abandoned the old city they spread out in the direction of economic opportunity and this was westward into the swamps and wetlands. Not many would remember that massive swamp adjoining the backwaters of the Wular was reclaimed for ‘development’ during Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed’s time and given the felicitous name of Sonwari.

The city is sited at the narrowest spread of flat land in the Valley, connecting Maraz with Kamraz divisions. The whole area, except where it begins to slope up to Wagura or South west to Badgam, is a natural wetland, extending into Hokersar and Haigam further North West.

The Dal and Anchar lake system extended well into the vicinity of Manasbal in earlier times. Anchar is now but a swamp and the Dal on the verge of becoming a cesspool.

In Mogul times the Dal was three times its current size extending well beyond Bagh Ali Mardan Khan, connecting with Khushalsar and Anchar. If the Dogra Rulers had not made Hokersar into their shooting preserve, or created Haigam as a reserved area, urban development would have lost these remaining wetlands to us as well, becoming versions of Bemina and Mehjoornagar, or Jawaharnagar and Tulsibagh.

The city of Srinagar is safe, when it is safe, because of the extensively constructed bund. Much of the city lies below the high water mark of the Jehlum, with flooding threatening after every episode of heavy rain from March to September.

Nothing, not even floods, stops the relentless build in low lying swamp, whether it is Shivpora at the Southern approaches of the city, or north-westerly while leaving it. It is a failure of both planning and administration.

If the natural containment area of excess flow is blocked with landfill as happened with Srinagar’s urban growth, then each flood will be worse than the last, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Coping with floods is one thing, polluting ground water is quite another. With no natural flow for the sewage generated or planning for the treatment of one has to shut off the mind to the horror being created beneath the soil.

The solution, if Srinagar is not to become a Venice of drain waters, is to build upwards not laterally. This means high rise buildings, where people live in flats, not independent villas.

It is also the way of the future. In a recent study by researchers in the US and Germany satellite data was used to measure 1550 cities in three dimensions. They found that while in the 1990s, ninety percent of the world’s cities were expanding laterally, that is, by spreading outwards in low rise construction, the figure dropped to 28 percent by the 2010s.

This means that urban growth is now happening upwards. Urban development is now much more through taller buildings that house more people than outward expansion. Typically, the researchers found, this trend to high rise construction begins from the centre of the city and spreads outwards.

Is that the future saving of Srinagar?

The most famous example of urban sprawl is Los Angeles, but we need not go so far. Delhi is a notorious example of inappropriate growth. It is not just Delhi; all over North India town planners have encouraged lateral spread and shunned high rise.

When Le Corbusier planned Chandigarh he wanted high rise, but his suggestions were shot down by a self-righteous moral aversion to the idea. As a result Chandigarh too, and the rest of Punjab, Haryana have also been victim of the 2 ½ floor obsession.

For reasons which remain obscure this obsession continues to cloud the mind of urban planners. Srinagar caught the same disease post-independence. One can see 5 floor residences in old buildings and photographs, but few in recent times, other than commercial buildings.

The trouble with high rise residences is in the ownership structure. When building high rise one builds for many families, not just one. This requires capital of course, but it also requires a mentality of risk. Most important it requires buyers who are willing to live in flats.

In other words, high rise in Srinagar is pre-conditioned by three necessities. First, laws that allow high rise residences. Second, builders, willing to risk capital in constructing high rise buildings, and finally, a class of people willing to abandon the villa mentality for flats.

All three are missing now. But high rise is the only answer to the disorganized spread of Srinagar into wetlands and paddy fields. Unless we want our city spread out to Anantnag and Baramulla. Already unregulated growth has taken it to Magam, and is threatening Tangmarg. The same thing seems to be happening towards Ganderbal.

We don’t have to wait for the next big flood to wake up to the perils of uncontrolled urban spread into a flood plain. The time to act is now.

The author is a retired IAS officer

The post The Limits to Urban Growth appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday apprised the Prime Minister and Home Minister over the phone about the flood situation in Tripura.

The state has been devastated by catastrophic floods for the first time in over three decades.

The Home Minister informed the Chief Minister that a central team would soon visit the state to assess the damage and losses due to the floods and landslides.

CM Saha during an all-party meeting here on Saturday had informed that as per preliminary assessment, the damage to the properties, crops and infrastructure amounted to around Rs 15,000 crore, which could rise further after field assessment.

In a post on X, CM Saha said, “Spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, spelling out all the details of the flood situation in the state. He assured full support to the people of Tripura in this hour of crisis. We are extremely grateful to the Prime Minister for his kind gesture to the people of Tripura.”

The CM, in another post on X said, “Spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him of the latest situation arising out of the unprecedented natural calamity of floods in the state. He assured of continued all out support to the state government. He also informed that the Union government would be sending a team to Tripura immediately to take stock of the situation. Grateful to the Home Minister for instantly coming to the aid of the people of Tripura in this hour of crisis.”

CM Saha and Home Minister Shah had earlier on a number of occasions discussed the heavy rain and floods that started in the state on August 19.

The overall flood situation in Tripura further improved on Monday with the water receding in many places even as 1.17 lakh people are still in 525 relief camps in various districts.

The catastrophic flood till Sunday claimed 31 lives, including women and children, and a few other people were injured in landslides in six of the eight districts — South Tripura, Gomati, West Tripura, Sepahijala, Unakoti and Khowai since August 19 and two persons were reportedly missing.

Disaster Management officials said that as per the initial estimates, around 20,300 houses were damaged partly and fully due to the heavy rains, landslides and floods.

Vast areas including agricultural land and human habitations in urban and rural areas are still inundated. Over 17 lakh people were affected in the entire state till now.

Landslides occurred in a record number of 2,066 places and many important highways, including National Highway 8, the lifeline of Tripura, have been damaged.

Officials said that most of the highways were, however, gradually becoming operational now.

Currently, several teams of the National and State Disaster Response Force along with 500 volunteers of Civil Defence and Apada Mitra are still engaged in relief and rescue operations, an official said, adding that so far, 30,000 food packets have been distributed in Gomati and South Tripura districts.

The Disaster Management officials said that most of the rivers, including Gomati in Tripura, are flowing below the danger level now.

The post PM Modi, HM Amit Shah assure of all help to flood-ravaged Tripura appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, who has sought deployment of additional National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, talked with Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the phone and apprised him about the prevailing flood situation in the state.

“The Home Minister assured me of all possible support during this crisis. I am grateful to him for providing all possible support to us at this hour,” Saha said in a post on X.

Disaster Management Department officials said that at least nine people, including three members of a family, were killed and two persons were injured in separate incidents of landslides and drowning following incessant rains in Tripura during the past 48 hours.

According to the officials, the 10 deaths, including a 12-year-old girl, were reported from South Tripura, Gomati, and Khowai districts.

An official said that three members of a family, including a woman and a child, died at Debipur in South Tripura district when their house collapsed due to a massive landslide late on Monday night. Villagers recovered the three bodies on Tuesday morning. The deceased were identified as Trisankar Chakma, 50, his wife Rajini Chakma, 41, and their daughter Mita Chakma, 12.

The official said that over 34,100 people belonging to over 6,620 families had so far taken shelter in 331 camps in eight districts while over 1,055 houses were damaged either fully or partially and hundreds of trees uprooted.

Water Resource Department officials said that most of the prominent rivers in Tripura are either flowing above critical or danger levels while the state’s main river Gomati has crossed the ‘extreme danger level’ in many places of Gomati and Sepahijala districts, as rainfall has continued.

A large number of human habitations, urban and rural areas and many important highways have been inundated due to the floods while crops and other important assets were damaged in huge areas in all eight districts.

Chief Minister Saha, before going to his office in the civil Secretariat, had to come out from his private residence on a boat of the Disaster Management Authority.

Due to the heavy rain and floods, the government had ordered the closure of schools on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) has cancelled 10 local trains in Tripura. An NFR spokesman said that due to heavy rains railway tracks were damaged in Gomati district, forcing the railway authority to cancel these trains.

A defence spokesman said that following the requisition from state administrations, four columns of Assam Rifles were deployed in different districts and they are working in close coordination with civil administration to rescue civilians stranded due to floods.

The post Flood situation in Tripura worsens, death toll rises to 10 appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Heavy rain have battered several of Sichuan’s cities and prefectures since Friday, triggering flash floods and destroying homes, according to the province’s emergency management authorities, Xinhua news agency reported.

No casualties have yet been reported as a result of the latest rainstorms.

Local authorities have enhanced spot checks, patrols and monitoring work to guard against rain-triggered secondary disasters, informing precautionary decisions to evacuate locals from flood-prone areas.

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During the disastrous Kashmir floods of 2014, it was realized that the capacity of wetlands to hold water had seriously reduced, whether it is the Dal Lake, the Nigeen Lake, or the Wular Lake. I have glowing and vivid childhood memories of the Wular, when it would look like an ocean to me as I stood on its banks with my classmates, on the occasion of school excursion. Now as I see the Wular, it looks to be dying a slow death, with plenty of moss and algae in its water. The Wular has been known for absorbing excess water during excess rains, but the failure of it along with other wetlands of the valley to capture surplus, clearly demonstrates as to where the lake is heading to.

One of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, the Wular Lake has shrunk to nearly half of its original area in the last few decades due to administrative apathy, extensive pollution, siltation and encroachment by selfish inhabitants.

The lake in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, is dying a silent death really which can be viewed on a visit to this fantastic Lake.  The lake confronts environmental threats including the conversion of large parts of catchment areas into agriculture land, siltation, rampant willow plantation, encroachment, untreated sewage, solid waste and weed infestation.

It covered an area of 217.8 sq km which included 58 sq km of associated marshes in 1911. The area was reduced to 86.71 sq km from 1911 to 2007. But as per the State’s 2013 revenue records, the lake’s area has shrunk to 75 sq km. By and large, there has been reduction of the lake area by 45% mainly due to conversion to agriculture (28%), and plantation (17%). Further, associated marshes have been reduced by 70% again due to conversions for agriculture and settlements. One fifth of the water holding capacity has been lost over last three decades due to siltation from catchments and wetland conversions for agriculture and willow plantations.

The Wular operates as a proficient basin for floodwaters, maintaining a balance in the hydrographic system in the Valley, therefore plays a significant role in water safekeeping in the Kashmir valley by regulating the release of floodwaters. It is believed that the straight release of solid and liquid wastes from the settlements all along river Jhelum, mainly from Srinagar city and other towns in the upstream area have led to degradation of water quality and health risks to the  areas around the Lake. In view of the huge biodiversity value, the lake was declared a Ramsar site (wetland of international importance) in 1990. But the conservation process started only in 2011 when the Centre agreed to release Rs 120 crore in four instalments for conservation and restoration of the Lake and nobody knows what is happening with that project.

The Wular Lake, one of the largest Fresh Water lakes in Asia, could be a great tourist destination. A visit around the lake covered by green mountain tops soothes a human soul. The beautiful and natural spot with greenery, and with a majestic flowing stream upon a vast area round the Lake under the mountain hill of Hazrat Bab Shukr-ud Din (RA) could have been developed as a very great tourist spot. The semi circle space around the Lake could developed on the pattern of Marine Drive and in this regard P. K. Pole, then Divisional Commissioner had clamoured before press and public that a Marine Drive Like path shall be built upon the Wular Lake and thus the economical condition of the District Bandipore could improve due to the inflow of tourists. What happened to that idea, nobody knows? It is sad that this probable prospective tourism attraction has been ignored by all regimes during the last 70 years.

It has immense potential of water sports which has been recognized and even launched by the Government of India in collaboration with the Kerala Tourism and J&K Tourism. But this endeavour has also gone to the winds due to bad condition of roads leading towards this great Lake; courtesy, the indifferent attitude of the rulers.

The great and prominent Kashmiri King Zain ul Aabdin, who constructed the artificial island of Zaina Lank in the middle of the lake in 1444, could be developed as another tourist attraction as has been carried in the midst of the Dal Lake.  With the tourist inflow, economic growth and promotion could have been enforced in view of the tremendous capacity of fish production within the waters of the lake. There is no doubt that the Wular Lake has immense tourism potential and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir ought to be very much interested in developing this place as a tourist destination by creating infrastructure and other facilities at this place. The valley is having shortage of drinking water and the protection of this lake can save us from more trouble on this front.

Time and again, civil organizations, citizens, tourism loving individuals and leading papers have been stressing that the Wular needs attention for restoration of its past glory. However, rarely have the authorities come forward with a plan on how to restore this great lake. Recently, The Group of Concerned Citizens’s (GCC) four member delegation headed by Khurshid Ahmed Ganai, IAS (Retrd)  visited the Wular lake and held interactions with many concerned officers including  Deputy Commissioner Bandipore, and officers of  the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WCMA).

The GCC delegation impressed upon the DC to take up the matter of the Wular lake with the J&K government and the Chief Secretary so that a revised restoration and conservation plan is prepared. The GCC suggested that in view of the size of the problem it may be useful to seek international collaboration, and procure the latest technology for the purpose.

The GCC suggested to the DC to request LG and Chief Secretary to review the project with WCMA and experts from outside Kashmir and those from Kashmir who have worked on the lake previously.  GCC’s initiative is welcome, but the movement of restoration the Wular needs to be taken to its conclusion.

The Nigeen Lake Conservation Organization (NLCO)  under the Chairmanship of Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo is doing a commendable job of restoring the lakes in Srinagar, and they need to take forward  this mission to all water bodies  across Kashmir particularly, the Wular. I request the NLCO to visit the Wular and take up the mission of protecting it from further decay.

The post Wular: Today, and Yesterday appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

The situation not only highlights the ineffective drainage system but also raises questions about the city’s preparedness for handling flood threats, which have haunted Srinagar in recent years.

Despite being designated as a smart city, Srinagar’s drainage system has proven to be inadequate in the face of heavy rains. The city’s ageing infrastructure, coupled with poor maintenance, has contributed to the current crisis. The failure of the drainage system has not only disrupted daily life but has also exposed the vulnerability of the city to natural disasters.

The flooding of roads has severely affected the daily lives of residents, with many unable to commute to work or access essential services. Businesses have suffered losses, and schools and have been forced to shut down. The situation was particularly dire in low-lying areas, where residents are grappling with water-logging.

The failure of the drainage system has raised questions about the efficacy of the smart city initiative in Srinagar. The smart city project, launched with much fanfare, aimed to transform Srinagar into a modern, sustainable, and resilient city. However, the recent events have exposed the gap between vision and reality, with the city’s infrastructure crumbling under pressure.

In the wake of the crisis, there is a growing demand for accountability. The authorities responsible for the maintenance of the drainage system and the implementation of the smart city project must be held accountable for their failures. It is imperative that a thorough investigation be conducted to identify the lapses and ensure that such a situation does not recur.

The recent rains and flooding serve as a stark reminder of the looming flood threat that hangs over Srinagar. The devastating floods of 2014 are still fresh in the memory of residents, and the city must be better prepared to handle such disasters. The authorities must take urgent measures to improve the drainage system and strengthen flood mitigation infrastructure to safeguard the city against future calamities.

The incessant rains that created flood like situation in Srinagar has exposed the vulnerabilities of the city’s infrastructure and the shortcomings of its smart city initiative. It is a wake-up call for the authorities to prioritize the maintenance of critical infrastructure and ensure the city’s resilience to natural disasters. Accountability must be fixed, and concrete steps must be taken to prevent such a crisis from occurring again. The people of Srinagar deserve a city that is not only smart but also safe and resilient.

The incessant rains that battered Srinagar, brought back memories of the devastating floods of 2014 are resurfacing, sending a chill down the spine of residents and authorities alike. The 2014 floods, which were described as the worst in a century, wreaked havoc in city, causing widespread destruction and claiming lives. As the threat of flooding looms large once again, there is a palpable sense of fear and anxiety gripping the city.

The memories of 2014 are still fresh in the minds of those who witnessed the destruction firsthand. The sight of homes submerged in water, people stranded on rooftops, and the desperate cries for help are etched in their memories. The 2014 floods were a stark reminder of the vulnerability of Srinagar to natural disasters, and the current situation is serving as a painful reminder of those dark days.

Despite the lessons learned from the 2014 floods, the preparedness of the city to handle such disasters remains questionable. The drainage system, which was one of the major factors contributing to the devastation in 2014, has not been significantly upgraded. The lack of proper infrastructure and the haphazard urban planning have left the city vulnerable to flooding once again.

In light of the looming flood threat, the authorities had been put on high alert. Emergency response teams were deployed, and efforts are being made to strengthen the city’s flood mitigation infrastructure. However, the question remains whether these measures will be sufficient to avert a disaster of the magnitude of 2014.

Call for Action:

The looming flood threat is a wake-up call for the authorities to take urgent action. The lessons of 2014 must not be forgotten, and concrete steps must be taken to improve the city’s drainage system and strengthen its resilience to natural disasters. The people of Srinagar deserve to live in a city that is safe and secure, and it is imperative that the authorities act swiftly to ensure their safety.

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