Document doesn’t reflect lessons learnt from 2014 floods
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 21: Unbelievable it may sound but it is a fact that J&K State Disaster Management Policy has come under review within few months after its notification as Government has failed to reflect lessons learnt from the devastating floods of 2014 in the document. Moreover, a committee headed by Financial Commissioner (Revenue) could not meet the deadline fixed for updation of policy as directed by the State High Court.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in the year 2012 the then Government prepared State Disaster Management Policy to effectively manage the whole gamut of disaster risk reduction and management. The policy was drafted keeping in view the fact that J&K has a long history of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, fires, drought, avalanches and landslides.
However, the seriousness towards the disaster risk reduction and management faded away soon after the preparation of draft of the policy, which is evident from the fact that the policy was notified vide SRO-218 dated May 22, 2017—-five years after its preparation by a team of dedicated officers.
The non-serious approach of the concerned authorities towards vulnerability of Jammu and Kashmir to natural disasters can be further gauged from the fact that while notifying policy no attention was paid towards incorporating lessons learnt from the devastating floods of 2014 in the document, sources said while disclosing that this glaring shortcoming came to the fore only when State High Court started issuing directions to the Government in the Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed following 2014 deluge, which affected major portion of State particularly Kashmir valley.
Finally, the State High Court vide order dated August 18, 2017 issued directions for updation of entire policy on the ground that it doesn’t reflect the experience of 2014 floods, which otherwise should have received the priority attention of the Government.
“It is a matter of serious concern that concerned authorities of the Government were waiting for the directions of the High Court for incorporating lessons learnt from one of the major devastation floods witnessed in J&K in the policy”, sources regretted, adding “these authorities should have voluntarily updated the policy to include lessons learnt from all the calamities witnessed since formulation of policy in 2012”.
Following the High Court orders, the Government vide Order No.70-DMRRR dated September 1, 2017 constituted a committee for updating J&K State Disaster Management Policy. The committee headed by Financial Commissioner (Revenue) and comprising of 11 more persons particularly experts in the field of disaster management was directed to update the policy and submit report to the Government within a period of 15 days from the date of issue of the order—by September 16, 2017.
However, this committee has failed to meet the deadline fixed by the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, sources said while expressing inability to fix time-frame for completion of task by the committee on the ground that comments and suggestions from the Deputy Commissioners vis-à-vis experiences learnt from 2014 floods and vulnerability of the districts from disasters point of view have not been received till date.
“All this indicates that disaster risk reduction and management has yet not received the due attention of the Government”, sources regretted, adding “had the necessary exercise by keeping in view devastating floods of 2014 been completed by the Government the prevailing situation could have been avoided”.
“It seems that deadline of 15 days for the committee was fixed just to send a message to the High Court that Government was dealing with the issue very seriously otherwise it is not possible to complete the exercise by holding consultations with all the stakeholders within such a time-frame”, sources said while disclosing that Department of Disaster Management, which was constituted few months back, has not been provided the required manpower thereby further exposing the non-seriousness of the Government towards the department which has much importance keeping in view vulnerability of State to different types of disasters.
Follow our WhatsApp channel