Calls for comprehensive damage assessment, long-term planning to prevent recurrence of floods
Anantnag: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today visited various flood-affected areas of Anantnag district to take stock of the damages caused by recent heavy rains and floods.
He interacted with the affected families and assured them that the Government stands firmly with them in these testing times, pledging all possible measures for their relief and rehabilitation.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Ministers Sakina Itoo and Javed Ahmad Rana, Advisor to the CM Nasir Aslam Wani, and concerned MLAs of the district.
During his visit, Omar Abdullah inspected the flood-hit localities of Mehandi Kadal, Janglaat Mandi, Deva Colony, Ashajipora Bridge, and other areas of the district. Residents of Ganjiwara raised demands for the early completion of the flood shed pump, along with repairs of interior roads and drainage works in Eidgah Colony.
Later, the Chief Minister chaired a high-level review meeting in Anantnag, attended by the Deputy CM, Ministers, Advisor to the CM, concerned MLAs, Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, SP Anantnag, district officers from all line departments, and other officials.
Deputy Commissioner Anantnag presented a detailed account of the damages caused by the floods and measures taken, including rescue operations, setting up shelter homes for evacuees, mobilising resources, deploying sandbags at vulnerable embankments, and initiating immediate restoration works.
He also briefed the CM about waterlogging issues, people affected due to floods and future planning to mitigate similar situations.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah directed the district administration to prioritise restoration works.
He called for undertaking permanent restoration of Public Health Engineering (Jal Shakti) infrastructure, given its direct impact on public health. He gave directions for coordinating water tanker services and other relief measures with MLAs to prioritise the most affected areas and strengthening coordination among departments such as PHE, PDD, and R&B to ensure seamless restoration of utility services.
The Chief Minister also called for the constitution of special teams to assess damages so that detailed proposals can be taken up with the Government of India for compensation to the affected people. He instructed officials to assess damages to agricultural land, horticultural crops, and stranded fruit-laden trucks stuck on highways, and to submit their reports in this regard.
Highlighting the importance of long-term planning, Omar Abdullah emphasized the need to explore the viability of a flood channel, dredging of rivers & streams, setting up dewatering pumps, and strengthening of river embankments.
