Fix Accountability for Infrastructure Damage During J&K Floods: M.Y. Tarigami

quick Summary

• Heavy rains in Jammu and Kashmir caused landslips, cloudbursts, flash floods, and infrastructure damage in the past month.
• Over 100 people lost their lives, with property damages worth crores reported.
• CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami demanded a neutral safety audit of dams and bridges to identify accountability for flood-related destruction.
• Tarigami suggested exemplary punishment for land encroachers and raised concerns regarding insufficient environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
• He cited previous flood warnings from 2014 as missed lessons to minimize current devastation.
• Issues raised include siltation reducing Jhelum River’s carrying capacity by half since 1962 and wetlands vanishing over years despite financial allocations for dredging efforts.
• The anti-corruption body has registered an FIR for inquiry into spending on Wular Basin (₹144 crore), Hokersar wetland (₹38 crore), and Jhelum River (₹60 crore).
• Urged the Central Government to provide adequate funds for relief operations.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The recent floods in jammu and Kashmir underline both immediate environmental crises and also longstanding governance challenges. Tarigami’s call for transparent audits highlights the urgent need to assess infrastructure vulnerabilities amid recurring natural disasters.Reduced river capacities due to siltation suggest ecological mismanagement that could exacerbate future flooding risks if left unaddressed.

The poor implementation of Environmental Impact Assessments prior to major projects appears consistent with broader infrastructural lapses discussed here. Investigations into significant spending on wetlands further underline gaps between financial allocations and tangible outcomes, which if proven accurate could impact public trust.

Relief efforts would benefit from coordinated state-center funding support alongside stringent ecological restoration measures-a dual strategy critical not only for recovery today but also mitigation tomorrow. Addressing these systemic issues merits prioritization given recurrent flood disasters increasingly damaging lives, infrastructure, and ecosystems.

Read more: Floods affect Jammu & Kashmir