CM Omar orders durable repairs, not temporary fixes

Srinagar, Sep 22: Chairing a high-level meeting to take a comprehensive review of flood relief and restoration measures across Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday directed all departments to expedite their assessment so that projections for relief and restoration could be submitted to the Centre without delay.

He enquired about the funds released during the floods and was informed that in several districts these funds had been utilised in temporary restoration works.

Stressing the importance of durable solutions, the CM directed the Jal Shakti Department to avoid temporary fixes and instead focus only on permanent restoration of water supply schemes.

He also reviewed the safety audit of schools undertaken after the floods, calling for the certification process to be fast-tracked.

Responding to rumours and misinformation circulating on social media about “deliberate delay” in the movement of fruit trucks on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway, CM Omar instructed the Divisional Commissioners and Inspector General of Police, National Highway, to issue verified information promptly so that people remain updated with facts.

He expressed concern over damage to the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex in Jammu.

The CM impressed upon his Council of Ministers (CoM) to finalise departmental projections quickly and for district authorities to reconcile figures with departments to arrive at accurate figures so that a consolidated proposal could be submitted to the Centre for a comprehensive restoration package.

He directed officials to ensure robust preparedness, strengthen embankments, and put in place effective response mechanisms to safeguard lives and property.

CM Omar directed the concerned Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to submit a report regarding the admissibility of ex-gratia relief in favour of the Next of Kin (NoK) of families from J&K who lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh in the recent landslide.

He reiterated that permanent restoration of infrastructure and restoration of livelihoods would be taken up on a war footing once a comprehensive package is approved by the Centre.

Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Ahmed Rana, Javid Ahmed Dar, and Satish Sharma, Advisor to Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to CM Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary PWD, Commissioner Secretary Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Secretary School Education, Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu divisions, Inspector General of Police, National Highway, Deputy Commissioners (DCs) attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the CM was informed that the slow movement of vehicles had been on account of poor road conditions in certain stretches of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and not a deliberate ploy.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Anshul Garg, presented a detailed report on the impact of the floods.

He said that losses in the Kashmir division included 16 houses that were fully damaged, 57 severely damaged, and 791 partially damaged, with relief already disbursed in all cases.

“Tragically, one life was lost, for which compensation has been provided, while three other deaths in related incidents in Anantnag were compensated through the Red Cross,” Garg said.

He informed the CM about losses to livestock, damage to cattle sheds, and compensation disbursed in these cases.

Giving details of infrastructure damage, he said that nearly 90 km of roads were affected across 279 road stretches, of which 52 had been restored, while the rest were under repair.

“Eighty-seven bridges and culverts were also damaged, with more than half already restored. A breach in the Jhelum at Zoonipora, Shalina in Budgam, is currently being repaired. In the power sector, over Rs 9.34 crore has been proposed for the restoration of damaged poles, conductors, and transformers. Of the 563 affected water supply schemes, 385 have been fully restored, while work is underway on the rest. Safety audits have been conducted on 115 school buildings, with certificates already issued for 43 schools,” the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, said.

He gave an account of agricultural losses with more than 12,500 hectares of land affected and nearly 315 hectares in horticulture impacted, primarily in Anantnag, Kulgam, and Pulwama districts, with estimated losses of about Rs 59 lakh.

On essential supplies, Garg said that the situation was stable, with stocks of petrol, diesel, and LPG sufficient for several days.

“Fruit transportation from Kashmir to Jammu and Delhi is progressing smoothly, with over 1.37 lakh boxes already moved,” he said.

Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, said that land subsidence along the Circular Road had damaged the backside of the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, underscoring the need for urgent protective measures.

He presented the situation in the Jammu Division, reporting several human and heavy material losses. Kumar said the floods claimed 150 lives, left 178 people injured, and 33 missing, with Kishtwar recording the highest casualties.

“Housing losses were severe, with more than 4200 homes fully damaged and over 8600 partially damaged, the worst-hit districts being Udhampur and Jammu. Livestock losses stood at 1455, and crops over 1300 hectares were damaged,” he said.

The Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, said that financial assistance exceeding Rs 40 crore had been disbursed from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), with an additional Rs 3.35 crore provided from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

“Restoration work is underway across sectors, with over 2700 km of roads and more than half of the damaged bridges already temporarily restored,” he said.  “Permanent restoration of roads and bridges is estimated at nearly Rs 893 crore. The power sector was also badly affected, with over 49,000 distribution transformers hit, almost all of which have now been restored. More than 2000 water supply works were damaged, with around 1600 temporarily restored, requiring nearly Rs 195 crore for permanent restoration.”

Kumar said that the education sector also bore the brunt of the floods, with more than 8800 schools audited for safety.

“Over 5500 have been issued safety certificates, of which around 5200 were deemed safe, while 758 were declared unsafe,” he said.  “In public health, 442 water samples were tested and over 1500 health camps were organised, screening nearly 80,000 people. Encouragingly, no warning signs of disease outbreaks have been reported.”