House panel to visit Valley on June 1, analyse flood threat

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 26

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources will visit Kashmir next week to analyse the reasons for the frequent flood threat in Kashmir and assess the devastation caused by the deluge last year.

The parliamentary panel headed by BJP MP Hukum Singh will visit Kashmir on June 1.

MP and Peoples Democratic Party leader Tariq Hameed Karra, who is a member of the committee, had requested the panel to visit the state.

“We will get a first-hand account of the devastation caused by the floods and accordingly make recommendations to the Centre,” said panel head Hukum Singh from Delhi. “We will also try to analyse the reasons behind the frequent flood threats in Kashmir and find solutions to the problem,” he added.

Kashmir was hit by the worst-ever floods last year. It sank nearly 70 per cent of Srinagar city, submerged nearly 800 villages in the state for more than two weeks and left nearly 300 persons dead.

The deluge also left thousands homeless. Official figures reveal nearly 3.50 lakh structures, mostly residential houses, were fully or partially damaged in the floods.

Residents have been blaming the Central and the state governments for not doing enough for the flood-affected people.

Hukum Singh said during their three-day visit, they would hold extensive interaction with various stakeholders, including government officials, on issues such as flood devastation.

The visit of the House panel comes after the visit of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment & Forests, headed by MP Ashwani Kumar. The panel has lambasted the government over inadequate relief and compensation given to the flood-hit people of Kashmir.