Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday expressed his serious concern over frequent flood threats in Kashmir and asked the administration to review its flood prevention plan by revisiting the Jhelum dredging policy and to restore all traditional flood spill channels.
Mirwaiz also urged the people to refrain from illegalconstruction of hotels, houses, seminaries and mosques on government land andalong the banks of rivers and streams.
Addressing the Friday gathering at Jamia Masjid in old cityhere, Mirwaiz said, “Just two days of rainfall in the Valley punctures allclaims of the administration because the flood threat looms large across theregion and brings back the haunting memories of the deadly deluge of 2014.”
He said it was unfortunate that promises of a foolproofflood prevention plan by successive governments have turned out to be mere “lipservice”.
“Though all past regimes failed to ensure a solid floodprevention plan, the present administration must take some serious measures sothat Kashmir is saved from the floods,” he said.
He said in “today’s age of science and technology”, theadministration must work out a concrete plan or and use technology to deal withthe flood threat.
Mirwaiz said that Jhelum flood channel has an absorptioncapacity of only 4000 cusecs due to siltation.
“If proper dredging is done the capacity can increase tomore than 30000 cusecs. But even the dredging plan was left midway,” he said.
“The blockade and encroachment of all flood channels thatused to flush out the waters of Jhelum in times of flood threats were neverrestored. Therefore the result flood threat always looms large,” he said.
Mirwaiz said that not a single flood spill channel wasconstructed by any of the previous regimes.
He said despite being aware of vulnerability to floods, thesuccessive regimes permitted constructions along flood channels and rivers.
“Major flood absorption bodies that include Gilsar, KhushalSar, Anchar, Wular and Brari Nambal have more or less vanished and there is amushrooming growth of illegal constructions while as successive regimes actedas mute spectators making Kashmir more vulnerable to catastrophe,” he said.
“Who gives permission for construction of hotels andresidential houses in notified areas is a mystery,” he added.
Mirwaiz said while all previous regimes are responsible fortheir failures, the people of Kashmir can’t escape the blame.
“We need to introspect and identify our own mistakes. Atmany places locals have illegally occupied government land, streams, riverbanks and constructed hotels, houses, mosques, seminaries and even graveyards,adding to their own miseries during rains,” Mirwaiz said.
He said that illegal encroachment and constructions have tobe stopped and people made to take responsibility for their actions.
Meanwhile, Mirwaiz paid rich tributes to veteran journalistand writer Syed Shujaat Bukhari who was killed along with his two guards on 14June last year. He said Bukhari was a bold and brave journalist besides a greatsympathizer of Kashmiri people and a good human being who was snatched fromKashmiris during Iftaar time outside his office. Mirwaiz prayed for peace tothe departed soul.