New J&K regime must not fail; earlier one did
Just six months after Jammu & Kashmir suffered its worst flood in half-a-century, parts of the State seem to be on the verge of being marooned yet again, as incessant rains lashed through the valley this weekend. The resultant floods have already claimed 19 lives, and the death toll is expected to rise. Thankfully, this time around, the State Government, led by the PDP and the BJP, seems to be more in control. For example, instead of waiting for water to rise to the danger mark, it has taken several pre-emptive measures. Some 400 families have been moved to safer areas, control rooms set up across the valley, and boats and sand bags made available to assist with rescue missions. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti has also called upon party workers to help with relief work. Moreover, the State Government has also been coordinating in an effective manner with the Union Government.
The National Disaster Response Force is already on the scene with eight teams in the valley, and more are on stand-by. New Delhi has deputed Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to oversee the operations. And the Army, the Navy and the Air Force are all prepared to join the relief and rescue missions at short notice. All this is in sharp contrast to the manner in which the situation was (mis)handled the last time by the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference Government. At that time, the entire State machinery had practically collapsed and Government officials were nowhere to be seen. Eventually, the Union Government and the military had to step in and carry out the vast majority of the rescue and relief missions — and in this, they were ably assisted by civil society groups and individuals from around the country.
But there is no scope for complacency. The efforts have to be sustained until the very end. Also, the situation this time hasn't been as bad as it was during the 2014 floods. The water has receded to some extent over the past three days, but weather officials worry that the worst is yet to come as heavy rainfall has been predicted for the week ahead. Moreover, the State is yet to recover from the previous disaster. For example, the embankments of the Jhelum are weak and dilapidated, and will probably not withstand another severe onslaught. These problems cannot be fixed overnight. Plans to strengthen the valley's overall flood control system should have been a matter of State priority in these past months. However, there was little progress on this front as the leadership was bogged down by a political logjam.
The December 2014 Assembly election, held almost immediately after the flood waters receded, produced a fractured mandate and it was only on March 1 that the new Government, based on a first-time alliance, was sworn in. The current crisis, therefore, is an important test for the BJP-PDP combine in Jammu & Kashmir. The coalition was voted to power on the platform of good governance, and this is as good an opportunity as any other to deliver on that promise. The National Conference may like to believe that it is off the hook this time around, but it would be well advised to resist the temptation of playing an obstructionist and irresponsible opposition in the face of a natural calamity. As of now, fortunately, no politics has been played. let’s hope it remains that way.