Rameez Bhat
When the ferocious flood hit the valley this fall, the administration was instantly caught napping. Almost 80 days after, a barrage of queries remained unanswered: why administration collapsed during deluge? How mindless planning turned people into victims? And, what steps had been interpreted throughout the cataclysm cascade?
After the incessant rainfall, water level surged in water bodies, more than expected. At the very outset, parts of south Kashmir got drowned drastically. Instead of pushing our state administration into war-footing, nothing great was done to counter the floods. The inertia continued amid shrieks and sobs.
The torrential rainfall lasted for five days. It absolutely contraindicate that something unspecified should fall out. There ought to look lucidly to determine the nature’s horror face which should be taken gravely.
If the positive steps were to be taken before the devastating deluge, there would be minimum deaths and might be insignificant loss of properties. It would be only possible when the administration conducted some measure steps rather than planning a meeting.
I don’t say planning is not indispensable. Without planning, it is impossible to decide, what is to be done, when, where, how and by whom it is to be done, as Theo Hayman said, “planning is deciding in advance what is to be done.”
But deluge drowned both, planning as well as administration. It was the time for administration to workout in an extraordinary extent, but they despair the local hopes. Our planners did nothing to achieve desired goal; they just made plans, but pathetically, did nothing. They didn’t know what measure steps should be taken. They did nothing. They just try to make people numb by causing human loss, besides binning of billions’ worth stock.
It was only because of our gutless administration that handling of the situation became a herculean task.
The history’s worst floods also rendered our police, judiciary, tourism and supportive service system ineffective. Our history in the form of books and documents turned into a mound of muck. Our effervescing business markets from central Kashmir to south Kashmir got scourge. Our dearest villages full of livestock, paddy fields and orchards suffered huge losses.
And when all this was happening, locals stepped into state’s shoes by distributing foodstuffs to the flood victims. They worked in an impressively resplendently manner. When the locals were drudging to save the precious lives, they make short-lived boats to rescue the people. Some of our lionhearted youth did swimming to rescue the people caught in flood.
Our political parties, however, instead of integrity incriminated to each other; but they don’t even ponder about the drowning Kashmir and its people. They don’t think about the management; what steps should be taken, and how the workers should work.
Our administration doesn’t nettle to afford the boat to the locals. The central government and the aerial visit of PM Narendra Modi himself decimated the feelings of Kashmir people. Even the telecom companies had obstructed the communication channels. No doubt at ground level, it might have be herculean task for them to restore the communication channels; but it was possible for them to set up air-based satellite. It can be only possible if administration works splendidly but all the feelings got submerged.
Keeping its flood passivity in mind, I can only say: rest in peace, our admin!
