The massive calamity that has struck Jammu & Kashmir is a natural disaster. But it has come about because of the callousness of State authorities who allowed widespread deforestation and constructions that blocked drains
The insatiable desire for expansion is a natural human trait as it symbolises progress and prosperity. But a rationalisation of this desire is not as common, and that is the beginning of a problem. Nature has taught us numerous lessons but these tips fail to register on the human psyche, and the false sense of security coupled with the lure of prime real estate have blurred the lines between where human domain ends and the personal space of nature begins.
Frequent disasters such as floods are increasingly becoming indicative of the pressures building up between nature and mankind. The blind rush for more resources, especially land, has resulted in riverbanks transforming into residential and commercial centres and storm-water drains becoming parking lots. This intense greed has relegated all safety norms to the back seat.
The devastating flood in Jammu & Kashmir that have so far claimed 200 lives or more and displaced hundreds of thousands is yet another unfortunate example of collision of human interests with nature. The disaster is not an unforeseen one, if one were to go by the past records. According to the National Institute of Disaster Management’s profile for Jammu & Kashmir, the State is prone to flash floods; the region has seen similar disasters in 1959 and 1992.
Clearly, no lessons have been learnt as illegal structures mushrooming on river banks and clogged channels ensured that the surge of water had nowhere to go. A history of perpetual conflict and a State Government that gives more importance to dialogue with Pakistan rather than to evolve a sophisticated disaster warning system have exposed the citizens to the vagaries of nature. As the State battles with nature, the Central Water Commission has remarked that “lack of pre-requisite requirements” is to be blamed for absence of flood forecasting system in the State. The situation is compounded by the fact that the State figures in the highly active seismic zones IV and V categories.
The inability of the State in preventing encroachment and illegal construction along the Jhelum river banks, especially in north and south Kashmir in Anantnag, Srinagar, Bandipora and Baramulla districts, has precipitated factors leading up to the natural calamity. The feeble attempt to rein in illegal constructions by enacting the J&K Water Resources Regulation and Management Act, 2010, has not paid any dividends. land grab instances and encroachments have made the situation worse by systematically dismantling the natural drainage channels between lakes and wetlands, the heavily silted lakes reflecting the apathy of the State administration have ceased to discharge their natural function of absorbing the excess water in urban areas. The 2013 Uttarakhand flood disaster has not served as a lesson for the Jammu & Kashmir Government. It not only allowed the narrowing of river channels but also turned a blind eye to the increasing occupation of riverbanks and non-maintenance of the required 200 metre ‘no construction zone’ near the river banks.
The country, and especially Jammu & Kashmir, cannot afford to have another natural disaster on this scale occur again, and to ensure this, the key elements of the environment need to be secured and conserved. Keeping in view the increasing frequency and intensity of the natural disasters, the Union Government must see that the State Government’s preparedness is periodically assessed and an elaborate action plan that strives to minimise population pressures on natural environment, is framed. As a first step towards disaster avoidance, it is critical to stem the rate of deforestation.
According to a research in the case of Jammu & Kashmir, the deforestation of the Jhelum river basin led to excessive siltation in most lakes and water bodies in Srinagar, thereby resulting in rising water levels. The research also states that since 1911, Srinagar has lost 55 per cent of its water bodies. Recent times have consumed prominent canals and wetlands such as Bemina and Batmalo, in the name of shopping malls and residential colonies. Canals such as the Doodh Ganga Nalla in particular used to accommodate floodwater and save areas from being inundated, but due to heavy encroachment, its channels are blocked now.
Similarly, Wullar, one of the largest freshwater lakes in South Asia, also poses a risk of flooding for Srinagar. According to the National Wetland Atlas, the lake has lost 88 per cent of its surface area due to unchecked encroachment over the past few decades. Wullar acts as a catchment lake for all rivers and drains of the valley, and due to its choked state, the lake can pose a major flood threat to Kashmir. The State Government has to get its act together before it’s too late.