Srinagar, Sept 5: CPI(M) leader and Kulgam MLA M.Y. Tarigami on Friday appealed to the Central Government to immediately release adequate relief and rehabilitation funds for the flood-affected people of Jammu and Kashmir, warning that the recent deluge has exposed glaring shortcomings in disaster preparedness and environmental planning.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Tarigami, who also heads the Environment Committee of the J&K Legislative Assembly, described the ongoing floods as an “immense human tragedy,” affecting lives and livelihoods across thousands of villages and towns.
“We urge the Government of India to assist the J&K administration by providing adequate funds for relief and rehabilitation of all those who have suffered huge losses,” he said, while extending solidarity to flood-hit regions across the Himalayas — from Uttarakhand to Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
Tarigami said the current devastation could have been minimized if authorities had learned from the 2014 floods, calling the lack of action since then a “missed warning.”
Criticizing the Central Government, he pointed to the lack of a dedicated Climate Disaster Relief Fund, saying its absence shows “utter lack of intent and concern” in addressing recurring natural disasters. He stressed that such a fund, offering non-repayable aid during emergencies, must be created on priority.
Highlighting environmental mismanagement, Tarigami said the Jhelum River, once capable of carrying 63,000 cusecs, now holds half that capacity due to silting. He called for ecologically sound dredging of the river and its wetlands to restore flood capacity and prevent future disasters.
“Our track record on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) is dismal. These are mandatory for any major project, especially in fragile areas. But in most cases, they’re either bypassed or compromised,” he warned.
Calling for transparency and accountability, Tarigami demanded a third-party safety audit of all public infrastructure like dams and bridges and said that encroachers and the land mafia must face exemplary punishment.
He also called for a thorough probe into dredging projects awarded for Wullar Lake, Hokarsar, and the Jhelum River, stating that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has already filed an FIR. “The details of the vanished wetlands since 2015 must be made public,” he demanded.
Tarigami’s remarks come amid rising public concern over inadequate disaster preparedness and the slow pace of flood mitigation efforts in the Union Territory.
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