ep 10 2014 : The Economic Times (Delhi)
Kashmir Floods Need Special Response
Long-term damage when a valley gets flooded
Buildings in Srinagar are submerged two-storeys deep.These floods are more severe than anything in recent memory in the place. In the hills or on the plains, heavy rains or a cloudburst can cause huge damage but the water will soon drain away . It will take much, much longer in a valley , where the only way out for the water is into the ground. This means that even buildings that withstood the initial impact of the rains would eventually give way , as they stay under water for an extended period.This could mean that rehabilitation in flood-ravaged Kashmir would be of a different order of magnitude as compared to that after the periodic floods that other parts of the country are used to. The nation must gear up for a huge, prolonged effort, even after the immediate relief measures are over.The government has initiated action. But it is not enough to leave everything to the government. Even for immediate relief, in which boats, rafts, chlorine tablets to make the available water fit for drinking, medicines for waterborne diseases and temporary shelters have to be procured and delivered, there is every reason for non-state agencies to chip in. Political parties and their youth and volunteer wings should mobilise themselves and launch into action. They are the most readily available vehicles for organised action available to channel the readiness of those who want to help into useful action on the ground. Parties should understand that the end to which they pursue power, the common good, right now means helping floodaffected people in Kashmir.
Companies have corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to spend this year. The government should notify Kashmir flood relief as CSR-eligible. People in Kashmir should plan and design the habitat that will have to be rebuilt, to minimise flood damage in future. Expertise from around the world should be drawn in to do this planning. Individual components of the plan should then be taken up by those who want to chip in. Relief and rehabilitation in Kashmir is a challenge the nation must rise to.
Companies have corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to spend this year. The government should notify Kashmir flood relief as CSR-eligible. People in Kashmir should plan and design the habitat that will have to be rebuilt, to minimise flood damage in future. Expertise from around the world should be drawn in to do this planning. Individual components of the plan should then be taken up by those who want to chip in. Relief and rehabilitation in Kashmir is a challenge the nation must rise to.
