Predicted by experts that in early 21st century valley of Kashmir would suffer massive floods, submerging the capital city Srinagar proved true when devastating floods on 7th September 2014 drowned much of Srinagar, inflicting losses worth thousands of crores of rupees by way of destruction of business establishments, residential properties, crops, roads, means of communication, offices, and conveyances. Government under obligatory duty compensated through cash disbursements. Fait accompli is that many of 2014 flood sufferers are back to square when fear revisits every year, sounding alarm bells across the valley. One is wonderstruck to note that after witnessing 2014 floods, helmsmen have not come up to the expectations matching the redressal through flood preventive and protective techniques to ward off the monster. Unfortunately it takes authorities years to perceive impending danger, devise a defence mechanism, put in practice modus-operandi, with results far from satisfaction.
The danger drum rolls from river Jhelum originating from a famous spring at Verinag in South Kashmir. People plan picnic and excursion trips and cherish the very glimpse of this place and its water. It is strange that its outlet becoming Jhelum while flowing from south to north began to terrorize the people. The river, from Khanabal, has a fall of 165 feet in the first 30 miles and 55 feet in the next 24 miles till it becomes somewhat lazy to reach Wular lake in district of Bandipora. Its fury is due to its tributaries of Vissu Nallah at Khudwani, Rambiyara Nallah at Vachi, Lidder Nallah at Botakote and Sindh at Shadipore, giving it audacity to roar just after only three or two days of intermittent rains. Unlike in the past when incessant rains for over a week were enjoyed, watching the rain drops tinkling over the roofs and the murmuring streams emptying in Jhelum, people now dread a drizzle. The river, once a life line of valley of Kashmir for trade, transport & drinking water has been infuriated by negligence of governments and encroachments by miscreants choking its flow and carrying capacity, making it now as Damodar of Bengal. Its water carrying capacity has decreased due to continuous rise in deposition of silt on the river bed and lowered, unmanaged, weakened embankments. Moreover, increasing deforestation and the macadamization/cementing of open earth surface lessening absorption power & capacity of open soil with quick run over to the river adds fuel to the fire of floods.
Water reservoirs/storage tanks/ponds and petrol storage tanks are serviced to clear these of mud, silt and sludge even though these liquids are filled clean and look visibly clear also but no such cleanliness exercise in river hygiene has been carried out to maintain its flow and volume. De-siltation unit once functioning at Sopore has been closed since long ipso-facto all silt has continued to accumulate in Jhelum. The water absorption capacity has decreased from 17,000 cusec to 3533 cusec overflowing the banks. With September 2014 floods said to be the worst in past one hundred years, some calling it a deluge, the amount of mud and silt again increased tremendously. As a remedial measure in 2015 the Irrigation & Flood Control Department, Srinagar engaged for dredging purposes a Kolkata based dredging firm at an awarded project cost of Rs.46 crore. The firm and the process often hit the news headlines but for wrong reasons of poor performance, delayed /irregular execution. Experts viewed that dredging work was done using unscientific methods and the danger desired to ward off loomed larger than before.
River management, hydraulic and environment experts opined that strenuous efforts are required to increase the velocity of flowing water for its quick discharge. Even after spending Rs. 46 crore there is no let up in the unchanged dangerous situation and the incertitude continues to haunt the valley. With the passage of time and apathy from Governance / public, it appears that river has changed its mood. Previously it used to be once in hundred years, now it knocks yearly. Earlier it would strike during the months of August and September – the harvesting season of most of the Autumnal crops/fruits, now it expanded its paws and jaws over to two full seasons from mid-spring to September keeping people in permanent fear. To stave off the peril government must take up the work of strengthening the river embankments by raising their height, plug the breaches, start dredging from the tail end, including Wular lake that is fast brimming to its reduced holding capacity due to similar reasons, causing floods with backwaters from the tail end. This would leave past much of the volume of silt flow downwards to the ultimate point of discharge into other side of Kashmir. It may probably make upward action easier for the stirred silt would move fast automatically with water or as the subject-experts may suggest more feasible in a time bound programme. Similar action is needed in case of other flood/field channels already carved for diffusing the pernicious situation. Internal drainage and sewerage systems may also be strengthened and upgraded to withstand such exigencies. To bid adieu to the problem for good, the costs involved for proposed construction of 198 feet wide Ring Road from Galandhar to Manigam running through districts of Pulwama, Budgam, Baramulla and Ganderbal may be utilized for redeeming river Jhelum in its originality as a safe road for water besides implementing about a decades old decision of constructing Zojilla tunnel. Ring roads cannot be denied but every concept is unlikely to suit everywhere as it has to be in harmony with nature . For valley this ring road of about 61 kilometers involving not less than 7,284 kanals of land may mean more dislocation / cost of rehabilitation, loss of employment/production and dispossession issues, harder to solve or mitigate than foregoing the project. Ring road being an amenity can be rolled back whereas safety & security of people as a necessity cannot. We need passage for water if we have to survive as making golden ear-rings and necklaces have no meaning when there are no ears and necks to wear on. People of Holland have made their own world out of portion of sea through safe bunding. Cannot we sacrifice a road for safe passage of water? The suggestion may ring imprudent to unconcerned but ambrosia for stakeholders.
Author is a former Sr. Audit Officer and Consultant in the A.G’s Office Srinagar.