Srinagar, Aug 28: CPI(M) leader and MLA Kulgam, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami on Thursday expressed deep concern over the devastation caused by the unprecedented floods in Jammu and Kashmir, the worst after nearly 90 years, which have wreaked havoc on bridges, roads, infrastructure, agriculture, and left thousands of residents in distress.
“The horticulture and agriculture sector has suffered massive losses both in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in Jammu, south Kashmir and Warwan areas. Farmers and orchardists have been hit hard. Even small vendors in Jammu, who depend solely on daily earnings, have suffered damages. The government must immediately reach out to them and extend all possible assistance,” Tarigami said.
Tarigami said the tribal communities, including Gujjar-Bakerwals, suffered heavy losses due to the floods. “They lost a large number of animals, which are their livelihood,” he said, urging the government to provide immediate relief.
MLA Kulgam said that the catastrophe should serve as a wake-up call. “Natural calamities may be unpredictable, but measures of preparedness are always possible. Unfortunately, successive governments and even society at large have ignored the fragile Himalayan ecology. We have seen it in Kishtwar, Kathua, Vaishno Devi, and now in these unprecedented floods. Despite forecasts and warnings, there was little effort at prevention. This shows how deep the administration remains in slumber until disaster strikes,” he said.
He added that it has become a “routine bad habit” for the administration to wake up only in the aftermath of calamities, while much of the preparedness remains confined to “photo-ops.”
“Our local vulnerability is worsened by poor planning, deforestation, and changes to natural drainage. We are now facing the serious consequences of a damaged ecosystem,” MLA Kulgam added.
Tarigami urged the government to treat the matter with seriousness, draw lessons from the devastation, and devise long-term strategies for disaster management and ecological conservation. He also urged the central government to declare this calamity, which has caused extensive damage in J&K as a national disaster.
