J&K govt failed to tackle untimely snowfall situation: CPI(M)

The Jammu and Kashmir unit of CPI(M) today flayed the state government over its response to the recent snowfall, alleging that the administration was "caught napping" while the snow and storm created havoc.
"The heavy and untimely snowfall is not new to Kashmir and the weather office had already predicted such a situation but the government miserably failed to chalk out a comprehensive strategy for tackling the emergency situations like the present one," CPI(M) said in a statement here.
It said that the statements issued by the administration and some cabinet ministers, portraying a rosy picture of post-snowfall Kashmir, were contrary to the ground situation.

"The government's failure to restore power supply and prepare contingency measures for hospitals and other such institutions resulted in great hardships to the patients. The snow clearance on major road networks across the Valley has been very slow, impeding the vehicular and pedestrian movement," the statement said.
The CPI(M) urged both the state and the central governments to immediately depute various teams of officers for assessing the losses caused by the snowfall and provide due compensation to the affected population, especially the fruit growers.
"Kashmir Valley especially the upper reaches, where fruit cultivation is the main source of livelihood, has been hit very badly, resulting in great losses. Scores of houses and hutments have been destroyed and washed away by the heavy snow and torrential rains," the CPI(M) said.

Expressing sympathy with the families who lost their kins in the disaster, the party urged upon the government to pay due compensation to the bereaved families without any delay and rehabilitate those who have been left homeless.
"Those who are still trapped in snow avalanches need to be evacuated on war footing," the CPI(M) said.
According to the figures revealed in a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah yesterday, the untimely snowfall in the state has claimed 17 lives and left nearly 2,000 houses damaged in Kashmir division.