Congress urges Centre to declare J&K floods a national calamity

The Congress on 7 September demanded that the Centre announce a comprehensive relief package for flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir and declare the devastation a national calamity.

J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra also sought a judicial probe into the death of more than 100 pilgrims in the twin incidents of cloudburst and landslide on the routes leading to Machail Mata and Vaishno Devi shrines in Kishtwar and Reasi districts last month.

Karra claimed that the recent visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to most devastated Jammu dashed the hopes of the affected population.

“Unfortunately, the hope of the 1.40 crore people were not fulfilled... the visit proved a casual approach. He (home minister) went to one of two places (in Jammu) just to show his presence and not bothered to speak about the pilgrims who lost their lives,” the Congress leader said.

He said the BJP-led central government failed to learn lessons from the past calamities and made no concrete effort to tackle natural disasters like flash floods by enhancing the carrying capacity of rivers and flood channels.

“We request that in future, such things do not happen and for that, a comprehensive plan should be made in consultation with all stakeholders. In addition, we also demand a comprehensive package for reconstruction of damaged public and private infrastructure, rehabilitation of affected populations including farmers who have lost their standing crops to deluge,” Karra said.

Urging the central government to declare the disaster caused by heavy rains in J&K a national calamity, he reminded the Centre of its liberal assistance to Nepal in 2015 earthquake and said the people of J&K are looking forward for assistance to rebuild their shattered lives.

“Your own people (in J&K) are yearning for rehabilitation. So many deaths have taken place, but you are completely silent and insensitively handling it,” he said.

Karra asked for relaxation of rules in providing relief to the affected population who lost their homes, crops, land and vehicles like it was done in 2014 floods. “The farmers should be given free electricity till their productivity is restored, pending loans under Kisan Credit Card (KCC) waived off and fresh interest-free KCC loans made available."

Congress leader also claimed that most of the villages across Jammu division are without electricity and water and urged the government to take concrete measures to provide relief to the affected population.

He also demanded free ration for six months for the families whose houses were submerged in the flash floods.

Reiterating the party’s demand for a judicial probe into the August 14 Chisoti cloudburst and Vaishno Devi landslide incident on August 26, he said the twin tragedies are needed to be probed by a sitting of retired high court judge to look into the criminal negligence of the authorities and fix the responsibility.

“There was a forecast of heavy rainfall but still the pilgrims were allowed to undertake the yatra,” he said while rejecting the three-member committee probe ordered by the lieutenant governor into Vaishno Devi landslide.

He said a similar committee was set up after 2022 stampede at the shrine but the report was never made public.

Karra also demanded setting up of a high-level committee of experts to look into the contributory factors and man-made reasons including the damage caused due to illegal mining by big contractors and firms in flagrant violations of the norms.

He said there are many areas where people are still losing their homes to land sinking and they need to be relocated to safer places and properly rehabilitated.

The Congress leader also cautioned about the apprehensions of spread of waterborne diseases and urged the government to act in a timely manner to prevent any outbreak.