6 Sensible Steps Taken by India during J&K Floods

Sep 15, 2014 Bhattarai Chiranjeevi Politics 0

Ever since the catastrophic floods hit the Jammu and Kashmir area, India’s decision makers have displayed agility and efficiency in executing plans and actions. This rare display of the prowess of the country’s think tank has been attributed to a number of factors, like presence of the new government at the centre, Omar Abdullah’s powerful regime as Chief Minister, Army’s bid to quickly insulate the area from becoming vulnerable to possible insurgency or other threats due to the sensitive situation and much more.

Everything said and done, the whole nation has come together to fight the situation and has been dealing with the tough conditions quite satisfactorily. Let’s take a quick review of major appreciable and novel steps taken by all, which define the new found common sense in the Indian populace to combat tough situations:

Floating clinics: The most badly affected areas have coagulated water as the only mode of transportation. The proposal of Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to organise boats to send medicines, first aid and other supplies to victims stuck in floodwaters makes a lot of sense. Taking cue from this, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has already mobilised the available boats in the area, and has arranged doctors and health workers on those boats.

Apart from those who have acquired injuries, patients suffering from diabetes and hypertension are the focal point of this operation as they have the most urgent requirement for proper medication.

Disposal of carcasses lying around Srinagar at the earliest: In order to control even the slightest outburst of epidemics, the Health Ministry immediately directed the Health Secretary and officials to remove the dead bodies of animals lying around various places. This step has been very helpful in avoiding unnecessary diseases from spreading.

Reference Image: FirstPost

The ministry is also giving priority to spread awareness about properly boiling water before drinking and has also provided chlorine tablets to be used for purifying the water. The step taken by the government has controlled a chain reaction of diseases from being triggered.

Rushing doctors from Delhi’s central government hospitals and medical help provided by Army, BSF and other agencies have further consolidated the health and cleanliness quotient around the place.

No celebrations, only contributions on PM’s Birthday: Ahead of his 64^th birthday, Prime Minister Modi tweeted a firm request to his friends and well-wishers not to celebrate his birthday on the coming 17^th September. He has pleaded them to focus on utilising the resources and time on J&K relief operations instead. Plans were long being made for celebrations across the country, including Gujrat, his home state and the place where he’ll be meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on his birthday.

The need of the hour is to stand shoulder to shoulder with our sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 14, 2014

My humble request- do not celebrate my birthday. Instead, dedicate yourselves towards relief work in J&K through your time & resources. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 14, 2014

This can be regarded as another sensible move by the Prime Minister, that will not only bring more help to the devastated state, but will also reassure the traumatised victims that the whole nation deeply empathises with them.

Heavy Donations: Donations have been flowing from all corners of the country to help fellow citizens. But the recent donation of 25 Lakh made by a political party, DMK in response to Prime Minister’s appeal to contribute to Prime minister’s National Relief Fund will encourage other political parties and politicians to come forward to help.

Also, the fact that PMO is holding regular meetings to keep a check on the management of Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) assures the donors that their support and help are not going unseen. The subsequent changes being made by the Prime Minister vis-à-vis management of the funds, for accommodating better distribution and collection measures, have generated a sense of worthiness among the donors. As a consequence, more and more people are coming forward in large numbers to extend a helping hand.

Northern Railways: The Northern Railways recently made arrangements to provide free tickets, medicines and food for victims coming from the flood hit areas. The effort was aimed at making the journey of the victims to their home towns smoother. According to sources, the flood victims were provided refreshments by the Railway Staff when their trains reached Anand Vihar Railway Station in East Delhi from Jammu. Thereafter, they were given free tickets.

90% of them were labourers from Bihar who had migrated to Kashmir in search of work. Social Organisations and volunteers pitched in and provided all the help that they could. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee trucks were parked outside the station to distribute food to the victims. The Railways Staff is keeping track of the victims to arrive and are working towards making more and more comfort and amenities available for them.

Spreading messages and awareness through media and social media, efforts by NGOs, etc. has made a huge impact on the society. Thankfully, everybody is trying their best to help.

Forces at their best: Endless pictures depicting the bravery shown by Defence Forces have been surfacing on the internet and newspapers. The Army has deployed 215 columns for rescue and relief operations. Lakhs of people have been rescued in the joint operation by Army, IAF, National Disaster Response Force and state police. The helicopters, choppers and other aircrafts deployed for rescue operations have proved the country self-sufficient, which in turn has instilled a sense of relief in the victims. Major rescuing has taken place only because of the sensibly planned and well in time steps taken by these forces. All thanks to the chivalry portrayed by the Armed forces, more and more people being saved every moment.