Slow work on dredging in River Jehlum irks Dr. Kamaal
National Conference (NC), Additional General Secretary Dr Mustafa Kamal has lambasted PDP-BJP government for failing to address the basic developmental needs of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The NC senior leader also criticized the ruling regime for failing to take precautionary measures to tackle any flood situation, like one occurred in September 2014.
In a statement issued here on Thursday Dr. Kamal said that after the 2014 floods all the experts and professionals have suggested that water absorbing capacity of the Wular Lake needs immediately to be expanded to evade any future devastation by the floods.
“But even after three years government seems not having learnt any lesson from this destruction. Had this government been serious about the safety of the people, it would have not wasted so much of time,” he said.
The coalition government has put people’s lives and properties in a great risk by delaying in precautionary measures, strongly recommended by the experts. The flood occurred three ago was from nature but at the same time it gave us opportunity to get alert and to take measures to escape any further devastation in future, Dr Kamaal added.
He expressed great concern on slow dredging in River Jehlum and stressed upon the need of dredging of the Wular Lake. Dr. Kamal said Wular Lake is largest flood basin of Kashmir has been reducing constantly and the depths of the lake has become heavily silted.
“We know the lake was actually 217.8 square kilometers and now it has reduced to 86.71 square kilometers as per survey conducted in 2007. This fact clearly indicates how much we should be serious and steady to take care of the lake. Over the centuries the lake has played a significant role in water security in the Kashmir valley by regulating the release of floodwaters. But as we know that its capacity has reduced, government should take immediate steps,” Dr Kamaal lamented.
KV Correspondent
