Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 7: Exposing tall claims of the present State as well as Union Governments about paying required attention towards strategically important Ladakh region, Zanskar, a northern most part of the country, is awaiting restoration of vital infrastructure which got damaged due to bursting of artificial lake about two years back. Under the prevailing situation, the people have started nursing an opinion that neither politicians nor bureaucrats want to put an end to their continuous neglect.
In the early months of 2015, an artificial lake got created due to blockade of Phuktal river in Zanskar Sub-Division of Kargil district following massive landslides. Since formation of artificial lake posed severe danger to the lives and property of the people in the downstream of the river at Phuktal, the Governor N N Vohra took up the issue with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Accordingly, the Union Cabinet Secretary constituted a multi-disciplinary expert group to evolve an action plan for dealing with the situation. After hectic efforts, a joint task force of the Army, Air Force and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) created a channel through the landslide blockade to drain out water from the artificial lake in a controlled manner.
However, on the morning of May 7, 2015 artificial lake burst due to melting of snow following rise in temperature and caused massive destruction in downstream villages much to the surprise of State as well as Union Governments.
The bursting of lake damaged eight bridges at Phuktal, Cha, Padam, Pishu, Pipcha, Sheela and Pidmo, link roads at Ufti, Purnay and Pishu, irrigation canals at Pishu and Kumik and works executed by the Rural Development Department, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
The cost of the damages was accordingly assessed at Rs 32.67 crore and keeping in view the difficulties being faced by the people of Zanskar Sub-Division an amount of Rs 10 crore was immediately released to Kargil district administration under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for temporary restoration of damaged assets.
“As this amount was not sufficient the Government decided to utilize an amount of Rs 15 crore from the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) for permanent restoration of damaged infrastructure”, sources said, adding “for rest of the amount it was decided that the same would be arranged from the resources of the State”.
Following this decision, a proposal was submitted to the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog for recommendation to the Union Finance Ministry for release of funds. However, despite lapse of two years not even a single penny has been released under PMDP for permanent restoration of damaged infrastructure in Zanskar Sub-Division, sources informed.
Holding the State and Central Governments responsible for inordinate delay in restoration of damaged infrastructure, sources said, “despite lapse of two years nobody in the State Government is in a position to specify when the funds under PMDP will be released and placed at the disposal of the concerned authorities for proper and time bound implementation of designated works”.
“Similarly, there is no commitment to the Kargil district administration till date for release of balance funds of Rs 7.67 crore and whenever the issue is discussed at official forum it is stated that this assistance would be provided as and when resources become available”, sources further informed, adding “all this shows height of negligence towards northern most part of the country in Ladakh, which otherwise is claimed to be receiving required attention of the present dispensation in J&K and at Centre”.
“If such is the response towards the infrastructure damaged by natural calamity what could be the fate of other development related requirements of the Zanskar Sub-Division can be easily gauged”, they said, adding “the people of Zanskar have started nursing an opinion that neither politicians nor bureaucrats want to put an end to their continuous neglect”.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Kargil Gulzar Hussain confirmed that neither funds under PMDP nor under State Plan have been received for permanent restoration of damaged infrastructure in Zanskar Sub-Division till date.
“Whenever the issue is raised we are told that funds will be released shortly…….I don’t know when we will be able to start work for permanent restoration of damaged infrastructure”, he further said while admitting that there has been resentment among the people of the Sub-Division.
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