Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday admitted that Jammu and Kashmir had a close brush with disaster after just two days of relentless rainfall, stressing that the incident has once again exposed the region’s vulnerability to floods.
He said his administration will conduct a comprehensive review of flood management strategies put in place since the devastating 2014 deluge.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Omar as per news agency KINS said, “In 2014, it took six days of rain to cause floods. This time, only two days were enough to push us to the brink of a flood-like situation. With God’s grace, the water has now receded and the immediate danger has passed.”
The Chief Minister announced that a detailed assessment will soon be undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of steps taken after 2014, particularly the status of flood channels, embankments, and the Jhelum river’s carrying capacity. “We need to study what improvements were made, where the gaps still exist, and how we can strengthen our preparedness. I will personally sit with officers in the coming days to examine these issues,” he said.
Omar stressed that recurring flood threats cannot be allowed to become a permanent feature of life in Jammu and Kashmir. “We owe it to our people to learn from the past. Mistakes must be corrected, and robust measures must be ensured so that every spell of rain does not throw the Valley into panic,” he added.
His remarks come in the backdrop of heavy rains and cloudbursts earlier this week, which caused rivers and streams across J&K to swell above danger marks, sparking widespread alarm before water levels began to recede.(KINS)
