SRINAGAR, March 13: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday raised serious concern over the water logging problem in the various areas of Kashmir division especially in Srinagar city.
In a statement issued to the media here, Bukhari said that in the aftermath of the incessant rainfalls, the whole valley appears to have inundated and the administration seems to be impervious in its response to this grave issue which has forced most of the residents in Srinagar to remain confined inside their houses.
“The administrative apathy has unleashed the flood like conditions in the whole valley especially in Srinagar. I have been raising the issue of drainage failure in Srinagar city since 2014 but no concrete steps are being taken to address this problem permanently,” Bukhari observed.
He further said the available dewatering system in Srinagar is extremely mediocre and the government should take focus on up-gradation of human resources and machinery of Srinagar Municipal Corporation so as to enable it to cope up with these challenging situations.
“The dredging of river Jhelum is being carried out at snail’s pace, dewatering systems are run-of-the-mill and the condition of the drainage system is awfully horrendous. The government must come up with a comprehensive drainage plan under Smart City Project otherwise these flash-flood conditions will be perpetually burgeoning,’’ he said.
Bukhari also appealed to the people to minimize the usage of plastic and polythene bags which act as choking agents inside the drains and eventually lead to its blockage particularly in the Srinagar city.
“We as responsible citizens also need to cultivate a good civic sense and stop the usage of polythene and plastic bags so that the sewage pipes and drains don’t get clogged. In the meantime, the government agencies must stand at guard to act promptly if any inconvenient situation arises until a lasting solution is brought in,” he concluded.
