PIL on govt laxity in 2014 floods: HC gives 2 weeks to petitioners

Jammu and Kashmir High Court has granted two weeks time to the petitioners who sought investigation and fixing of responsibility to the officers for alleged failure in dealing with the flood situation last year.
The direction came after chief secretary of the state said that allegations leveled in a Public Interest Litigation about gross omission and commission in strengthening, widening and re-enforcing of embankments are not based on facts.
Chief Secretary denied the allegations leveled by petitioners and said there was no laxity on part of the administration regarding flood forecasting. He said the warning given to the people was taken by them very lightly believing that flood waters had never touched their areas in the past.
The state further submitted that in February last year district administration got a project of Rs 278.50 crore prepared under JNNURM for de-congestion of the old city which could have safeguarded river Jhelum from garbage disposal and sewage of the households living alongside the river. “But no headway could be made in sanctioning of the project due to imposition of model code of conduct and as of now the decision regarding continuance of JNNURM by the present central government is pending.”
The affidavit further says that Rs 30 crores out of Rs 97.46 crores have been released by the central government as interim amount in another project which have been incurred on dredging of the outfall of river Jhelum at Baramulla.
The state also said that breaches in river Jhelum were not caused because of the water supply pipeline from Zero Bridge to Amira Kadal along the banks of river Jhelum.
“Huge breaches across embankments of Jhelum occurred at several spots where no pipeline was laid,” state said in the affidavit.
They said the impact of the flood waters was so immense resulting in over-toping the embankments and smashing of the walling on other side resulting in formation of waterfalls with intense velocity. However, the petitioners objected to the statement made by the state government as advocate Azhar-ul-Amin said the affidavit filed by state is not based on facts.
On this the court granted two weeks time to the petitioner to file objections to the affidavit filed by the chief secretary.
Meanwhile, the high court directed the state government to upload information regarding compensation to the flood victims on the website which is being monitored by the central government.
The court asked state to update the website within a week so as to enable the central government to provide additional financial assistance which stands already sanctioned.