JK fails to implement suggestions by experts to avert floods

Even as the threat of another flood in Kashmir has dissipated primarily due to the improvement in weather, questions are being raised why Kashmir is witnessing frequent flash floods and why the Jhelum flows above the danger mark even if it rains for a day.

Against the backdrop of the last year’s devastating September deluge and to mitigate future flood threats, one of the key recommendations of a two-day closed-door national seminar ‘retrospective and prospective 2014 Kashmir floods for building resilient Kashmir’, was to hold a scientific study to understand the flood problem. The seminar was attended by experts and state and Central government officials in November last year.

But despite two flood threats since the last year’s deluge, none of the short-term and urgent recommendations suggested in the seminar have been implemented by the J&K Government so far.

“It is unfortunate that none of the recommendations, required to be done on priority, have been implemented by the state,” said Shakil Ramshoo, head of the Earth Sciences Department at the University of Kashmir. Ramshoo was part of the two-day deliberations.

“After the intense deliberations last year, I haven’t seen the initiation of any process, aimed at reducing our vulnerabilities and risks,” he added.

Ramshoo said the latest flood threat had once again exposed that the government had no vision or perspective document for long-term flood management.

One of the important recommendations of the seminar was to take up scientific study to understand the floods.

“Knowledge-driven all-inclusive multidisciplinary flood planning needs to be initiated on priority by engaging technocrats with expertise to develop insights into flooding mechanism in the Jhelum basin, building on comprehensive existing studies,” said one of the recommendations.

The second recommendation was made on strengthening the flood infrastructure in the Jhelum basin to cope with the probability of the next extreme flooding event in the Jhelum.

“This includes the preparation of a integrated detailed project report for the construction of an alternative flood channel from Dogripora to Wular, increasing the carrying capacity of the Jhelum, dredging the existing flood channel and the wetlands such as Hokersar, Narkara, Nowgam Jheel and the Wular Lake and strengthening the breached and weak embankments,” the recommendation said.

The other recommendations said the water bodies, lakes and wetlands be brought under one regulatory authority for their integrated management, urgently operationalise the Flood Early Warning System for the Jhelum to give relief to the people from this recurrent agony of flood alerts and panic reactions, study scientifically the probability of flooding in immediate future, flood zonation and flood vulnerability assessment.

Ramshoo said it seems the entire effort of the government was focused on seeking money for the dredging of the Jhelum, which was important, but was only a part of the solution.

“Where is the vision or the perspective document for long-term flood management, aimed at reducing the risk of the floods. I see these measures just as ad hoc and devoid of any vision or perspective and it will lead us to nowhere,” Ramshoo said.

However, Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Javed Jaffer said they were working on both long-term and short-term initiatives to mitigate the threat of the floods.

“The recommendation of the deliberations of which I was also part are in the process of implementation,” Jaffer said. “These initiatives are time consuming,” he added.