PDP leads Opposition push for Central relief package as floods ravage Jammu region

As floods, cloudbursts and landslides continue to wreak havoc across Jammu and Kashmir, opposition parties are intensifying calls for an urgent relief and rehabilitation package for the affected regions. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has specifically urged the Centre to announce a relief package akin to the one provided after the devastating 2014 floods in Kashmir.

Over the past few weeks, a series of natural disasters have claimed over 100 lives in the region, with the Jammu division bearing the brunt of the destruction. Notable incidents include a cloudburst in Kishtwar’s Chositi village during the annual Machail Mata Yatra, which killed 65 pilgrims. This week, at least 34 people died after a landslide struck near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti highlighted the dire situation in Jammu, emphasising that the recent rains have devastated the region the most. “Lives have been lost, homes destroyed, infrastructure damaged, and families left with nothing. The Government of India must urgently announce a financial relief package similar to the one after the 2014 floods. Special attention must be given to Jammu, which has suffered the most,” Mufti said in a post on X.

She stressed the importance of a “coordinated effort” between the central and J&K governments to ensure that the affected communities are not left to cope alone during this crisis.

The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP), led by jailed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid, also voiced concerns over the devastating impact of the floods, cloudbursts, and landslides. AIP spokesperson Inam Un Nabi pointed out that Jammu is bearing the heaviest brunt of the disaster. “While immediate relief and rehabilitation are essential, it is equally important that authorities conduct a proper loss assessment, ensure transparent compensation, and lay out a clear mitigation strategy to prevent such tragedies in the future,” Nabi said in a statement.

People’s Conference spokesperson Salman Bukhari echoed these sentiments, stressing the urgent need for rehabilitation. “Jammu has witnessed massive destruction, leaving residents in desperate need of support. The Centre and the UT government must provide both immediate relief and long-term recovery plans,” he said, emphasising the critical role of timely intervention in restoring normalcy.

Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq added that authorities must take proactive measures to identify and relocate people at risk. “The authorities must act with foresight to ensure that such tragic loss of life is not repeated,” Farooq said.

Amid growing demands for intensified relief efforts, a senior BJP leader, Altaf Thakur, criticised the Omar Abdullah-led government for its failure to implement effective flood mitigation plans. He accused the previous administration of neglecting flood preparedness, which he claimed contributed to the severity of the current disaster. “Despite the Valley facing flood-like conditions after just two days of rainfall, no comprehensive flood mitigation strategy was ever put in place,” Thakur said in a statement.