Jammu, Sep 29 (KNO): Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday described the recent floods in Jammu as an unprecedented catastrophe, saying the region endured nature’s fury for nearly a month in a manner never witnessed before.
Addressing the ‘Swachhata Vijayotsav’ organised by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj under ‘Sewa Parv’ here, LG Sinha, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “Climate change is a reality and people should realise it.”
He said, “Many people revealed that they had never seen such a catastrophe in the past. Everyone in the Jammu region was affected in one or other way.’
He said, “J&K Administration and the Government of India are standing like a rock behind the victims of catastrophes. Every effort is being put to provide them with all the possible assistance so that their life comes back on track. ”
He said, “I extend my deepest condolences to the families who have suffered losses. I want to tell them that the Home Minister of India himself visited and assessed the situation with his own eyes.
“A central team also toured Jammu and Kashmir and, together with local authorities, prepared a damage assessment. I am fully confident that the Central Government will extend complete support to Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The LG said that the Centre has approved the construction of more than 5,000 houses under the Rural Development Department. “A private organization from Kerala has assured that it would construct 1500 new houses, with each house having three rooms. They have said that the work will start in October. Each structure would cost around Rs 9 lakhs.”
The Lieutenant Governor said that the losses have been enormous as more than 4,000 houses were damaged, over 3,237 kilometres of roads affected and more than 70 major bridges destroyed.
Calling for the crackdown on encroachments along water bodies in the Union Territory, LG Sinha urged people and the administration to create a movement for it. “We exhort the officials to crack down on encroachments along the water bodies. Citizens must report encroachments on natural resources in their respective areas to the authorities. Let us unite to rebuild a stronger, more secure future,” the LG said.
The Lieutenant Governor said, “Along with the administration, I also appeal to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir that it is their moral responsibility to prevent illegal construction and encroachment around riverbanks and water bodies.”
He said such encroachments may provide temporary relief to some people but in the process, “we end up losing our own people” during flood-like situations.
“I also expect the officials to keep a strict watch on this issue. Beyond the administration, the people themselves must take responsibility to stop rampant encroachments on natural resources and ecologically fragile places. For this, we must build an environment and a movement,” LG Sinha said.
He said that when the administration tries to remove encroachments, many people take to the streets. “But the devastation we have witnessed gives us an opportunity for self-reflection — we must think about how to create a safe and sustainable system.”
LG Sinha asked the people of J&K to look into two major issues confronting the UT and their responsibilities towards them. “The first responsibility is to restore the lives of those whose lives have been disrupted due to floods and human-induced causes. At the same time, people must be made to fully understand the reality of climate change, as the scale of damage is continuously increasing. This message must be conveyed at the rural and panchayat levels.”—(KNO)