Riyaz ul Khaliq

SRINAGAR

Breached Bund near Abi Guzar in Srinagar during September 2014 floods. Pic: Bilal Bahadur
Breached Bund near Abi Guzar in Srinagar during September 2014 floods.
(KL Image: Bilal Bahadur)

Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday faced humiliating situation when a ruling Lawmaker raised the issue of plugging of 2014 floods damaged Bund in his constituency.

The government was responding that GoI was yet “to approve the project”.

Raising the issue during Question Hour, PDP’s Batamaloo Lawmaker, Sheikh Noor Mohammad, told the house that September 2014 devastating deluge damaged Hokersar-Narbal Bund at various places. He said that flood waters had crossed over to adjacent areas damaging property.

MLA Batamaloo, Sheikh Noor Muhammad
MLA Batamaloo, Sheikh Noor Muhammad

“The 2014 floods damaged and breached HMT-Narbal Bund at various places,” Noor Mohammad told the house, “the breaches are yet to be plugged.”

I&FC Minister, Sham Choudhary and read the already answer, “the matter has been referred to Forest department for raising and widening of Flood Channel Spill from Hokersar to Narbal. As soon as the permission is granted, the department shall start the execution of the works, after project is approved by GoI.”

However, the response angered MLA Batamaloo who stood again alleging that the answer was “wrong”. “What are saying; we want Bund to be repaired. What has it to do with Forest Department?” Noor Mohammad asked the Minister.

Notable to mention here, after flood waters from Hokersar breached the Bund near Lawaypora area – MLA’s home place – and killed four persons who were wading through waters on way to their home in Bandipora. The dead included two babies as well. The lady and her family was caught in floods in Fruit Mandi area near Parimpora in September 2014.

It was 9 September, when Abdul Rashid Fafoo of Ashtangoo Bandipora and his friend Showkat Ahmed Laboo after tracing the former’s sister and her two kids in flood-ravaged Bemina area of Srinagar left their homes for Srinagar.

But Rashid and Showkat met with a tragic accident while rescuing the lady and her kids. The duo died, alongwith 14-month old twin daughters of Rashid’s sister, when their boat capsized on its seventh rescue trip near Lawaypora after it was caught in whirlpool of flood water.

After argument and counter arguments of MLA and Minister invited laughter from house and the galleries, Sham Choudhary told the Batamaloo Lawmaker that he will have on-spot inspection of the Bund “and will immediately complete the plugging”.

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