Sir,
It is known to everybody that the recent floods in the whole of J&K State except Ladakh division was not lesser than a catastrophe. When the flood is in full swing, the rivers, nallahs and even small streams overflow their banks and cause damage. The loss caused by floods is not easy to be assessed.
It is only after the flood recedes that one is in position to assess the actual loss and the devastation caused by floods. Similar is the case with the recent flood in J&K.
The after effects are numerous to be counted. The human loss has been estimated in hundreds. The roads including national highways, were found to be impassable. The telephone services, postal services, means of communication and transport came to a standstill, the most dangerous and obnoxious after-effect is the fear of spread of some epidemic for which the Govt has come into action by arranging medicines and tablets to avoid the water borne diseases. It was only after the fury of flood was over that the suffering people began to look to their houses. The Govt has now to assess the loss caused to the roads, orchards, agriculture, lands, residential houses, buildings, housing, offices, schools, colleges etc. Moreover, the loss caused to the bridges has also to be estimated. All this work of assessment is a colossal task. The insurance companies’ banks and other financial institutions have to bear the brunt by way of clearing insurance claims. Banking business suffers a lot because of no recovery of amounts lent. It may take years to come to rails inspite of liberal aid by the Central Government, and NGOs. The flood has taught us not to fiddle with the nature but be nature friendly and not to exploit nature’s bounties beyond proper limit.
Yours etc..
Dwarika Nath Raina
Upper Muthi, Jammu