Will seek answers for ‘negligence’ by previous govts in 11 years: Omar

As Kashmir valley witnessed an alarming rise of water levels after just two days of heavy rainfall, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said his government would seek answers for the “negligence” that took place since 2014 Kashmir floods. He said, “It seems that 11 years have been wasted by previous governments.”

Omar, who arrived in Valley from Delhi on Thursday afternoon, headed to the areas on Srinagar outskirts that were inundated after a breach in the Shalina area which falls in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

Talking to reporters after taking stock of the flood situation, Omar, while demanding a relief package for Jammu and Kashmir said, “Questions need to be asked “what has been done in the last 11 years.”

Kashmir Valley last saw devastating floods in 2014, when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was the Chief Minister. Omar told reporters, “After learning the lesson of 2014 (floods), we prepared a package which will increase the carrying capacity of water through dredging in the Jhelum river and flood channels.”

“Next week, I will review what has been done in the last 11 years. We will take necessary steps and start preparing for it from today, so that we don’t face the danger of floods just from two days of rain,” he said.

“If we had taken right steps after 2014, and had dredged Jhelum and flood channels, this situation would not have arisen,” he added. “In the last 11 years, the government has been negligent. We will have to question this negligence and have to seek answers for it,” Omar said.

He said, “People thought we will not have to face this situation again after 2014. ‘The rain has been given by Allah. But this rain should not have caused so much damage.”

“But I assure the people here that after this, we will not let such situations happen again,” he added. The Chief Minister said there was no loss of life, but there was a financial loss.

“A team will be sent by the Central Government to check 10 districts of Jammu. Today, I am going to request Home Minister Amit Shah through a letter that the same team should be sent to Kashmir also. Assessment should be done about losses, and a relief package be approved by the Central Government for both Kashmir and Jammu,” he said.

Answering a question, Omar said, “Unlike in 2014, this time the government has been able to save Srinagar from floods. But in Kulgam district, here, there have been financial losses. This should not have happened.”