Kashmir Floods 2014: Rehab plans in limbo; administration throws out people occupying govt buildings after floods last year

“Government has left us on the mercy of God,” claim flood affected people

By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net,


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Pampore/Srinagar: Over five dozen flood affected families rehabilitated temporarily in government buildings in Pampore area of Kashmir are being evacuated without making any alternative arrangements, the families have claimed.

The abrupt manner in which these families have been asked to evacuate government buildings has raised questions on the PDP-BJP led government’s commitment to rehabilitate and compensate the flood-affected people.


Kashmir Floods 2014: Rehab plans in limbo; administration

The 46 families of Pampore town of South Kashmir that were temporarily rehabilitated last September in three State Road & Transport Corporation (SRTC) buildings were forcefully evacuated by Revenue officials and J&K police on Saturday, May 2. The said SRTC building was allotted by the then Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama for temporary rehabilitation of flood affected families of Drangbal, Namblbal, Kadlabal, Frestabal (Pampore).

“On Friday, May 1, a notice was pasted at the entrance of building for evacuation. The following afternoon, a huge contingent of police and revenue official along with Municipal Officials arrived and forcefully evacuated our women, sisters and children,” said Manzoor Ahmed Mir, who along with his wife and four children, were living in the building since last eight months.

In Pampore town, hundreds of structures were damaged last year following the floods in September. Since then, numerous families of the town have been living on rented accommodations and government buildings.

Pampore, often called as the saffron town, a notified area committee in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, had endured the brunt of deadly inundation when the embankments protecting the town from river Jehlum collapsed at many places leaving the entire Pampore submerged in flood waters last September. The victims are still to start repairs and reconstruction of their residential houses as the meager amount paid as compensation is highly insufficient to carry repair or construction, the flood affected claimed.


Kashmir Floods 2014: Rehab plans in limbo; administration

Another flood victim, Abdul Rashid, 50, a driver by profession, whose family was rehabilitated in the building, told TwoCircles.net, “The Police, Revenue and Municipal officials busted our doors and ransacked our belongings when we resisted to leave the building. We are left by the government on the mercy of God. How can the government evacuate us without making any alternative arrangements? Are we supposed to live on the roads?”

The flood victims claimed that they had themselves made arrangements for electricity and water as building was still under construction when they were shifted there by the district administration last year.

“We had arranged for connections of electricity and water from our own pockets. There were no windows and doors in the rooms. We had fixed them from our own pockets. Is this the way they come in and break the doors and ask us to evacuate?” Posha Dar, 55, whose house got fully damaged in the floods, said.

Living with her eight daughters and her husband, an asthma patient, she suffered minor cardiac arrest during evacuation. “My husband is bed ridden, my two daughters work in a nearby factory, which is our only source of income. When I came to know about the evacuation, I was completely shocked and I suffered a minor cardiac arrest,” she said.


Kashmir Floods 2014: Rehab plans in limbo; administration

The victims claimed that some months back the tehsildar concerned along with Public Works (R&B) officials had visited the building and promised them pre-fabricated huts until a permanent rehabilitation was arranged by the government.

“The government paid me Rs 1,70,000 in relief and compensation but the whole amount got utilized in removing the rubble of my collapsed house. How can a person build even a two-room house with such a minimum amount in this time of inflation?” said Manzoor Ahmed Mir.

Shabir Ahmad Darzi, tehsildar, Pampore, while speaking to TwoCircles.net termed the evacuation as directives issued to the administration by the state government. “The directions for evacuation of government buildings was given by the Chief Minister to the district administration to pave the way for secretariat employees, who have been living in hotels. The 46 families have been provided with compensation of Rs 75,000 and we had given them ultimatum before one month for vacating the said building. Instead, they were still living there that’s why we evacuated them on Saturday,” said Darzi.

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