JAMMU AND KASHMIR
BY MANALI DHARMENDRA YELVE:10-B
FLOODS IN THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR!!!
In September 2014, the Kashmir region witnessed disastrous floods across majority of its districts caused by torrential rainfall. The Indian administrated Jammu and Kashmir, as well as places in Pakistan, were affected by these floods.By September 24, 2014, nearly 277 people in India and 280 people in Pakistan had died due to the floods.
THE CAUSES OF THE FLOOD
The major floods in the Jammu and Kashmir,India was mainly caused by the manifestation of extreme weather events induced by climate change according to the Centre for Science and Environment.
Some officials also said that in the last 100 years, more than 50 percent of lakes, ponds and wetlands of Srinagar have been encroached upon for constructing buildings and roads. The banks of the Jhelum river have been taken over in a similar manner, vastly reducing the river's drainage capacity which thereby causes such devastating floods.
COULD THIS DEVASTATING FLOOD BE AVOIDED?
According to me the flood could be avoided with good alert systems which the Jammu and Kashmir lack in.And according to some news reports the floods could also be prevented if India had a proper working Disaster Management System.
The floods were also caused by the improper management of the Government as they turned a deaf ear to the warnings that the climate change can affect India too.
HOW COULD THE GOVERNMENT HELP??
Here below are listed some ways in how the government could help in preventing such situations:
- Firstly,the government should have launched proper weather forecasting systems all over the country,
- Secondly,as it is said in many news reports,the government would have saved more than 200 lives if they did not ignore the weather forecasting systems available in Jammu and Kashmir,
- Thirdly,one of the causes that not only has been a reason of devastation in India but also to a lot many other countries i.e more and more increasing urbanization could be prevented by the government,
- Fourthly,holding meetings with state officials discussing about such states that are endangered to natural calamities,
- Fifthly,coordinating the endangered states to act as per the government orders to prevent mass destruction.
- Sixthly,improve good technology that is disaster-proof,and can help people survive.
How has this natural disaster affected our Indian economy??
According to the responsible officials the devastating floods in Jammu & Kashmir have caused an immediate loss of Rs 5,400-5,700 crore to the state's economy, with heavy damages to trade, hotels, restaurants, horticulture and handicraft.
Other than these important things, the high-cost infrastructures like roads,bridges,railways,trains,buses,etc. have also contributed to the big damage in our economy.