Greater Kashmir: Srinagar: Monday, December 28, 2015.
A number of
government departments in J&K are allegedly sitting on a Right to
Information application seeking information on state’s preparedness in the
event of a natural disaster like earthquake in Kashmir. The departments particularly
offices of Deputy Commissioners of all districts (except Shopian) are yet to
respond to the RTI filed by advocate Mir Imaad Rafi.
Immad told
Greater Kashmir that only Deputy Commissioner Shopian and Chief Engineer PHE
and Irrigation have complied with a
communiqué of Divisional Commissioner.
“A study of
present state disaster management policy shows that it stresses on microscopic
planning at district, divisional and state level, but has remained limited to
official papers. On ground, there is no institutional coordination between
departments and agencies of government expected to participate in the Disaster
Management,” he said. “The State Disaster Management Act and the disaster
management policy conveniently overlooks comprehensive disaster risk reduction
(DRR), disaster response and conflict risk management (CRM) system.”
In Shopian
district alone, the government has failed to establish an "emergency
operating centre" which is mandatory for post disaster response under the
DM Act, the RTI reply reads.
“Further
there is violation of policy by non-implementation of National Building Code or
any other code laid by the Bureau of Indian Standards by relevant departments
in existing building bye-laws,” Immad said.
As per the
RTI reply, Shopian district administration has also "noticed nothing"
with regards to fault lines in Simthan and Shopian region.
Pertinently
three districts of Kashmir Srinagar, Kupwara and Baramulla fall in “very severe
intensity” Seismic Zone-V and the remaining seven districts in “severe
intensity” Zone-IV, thus making the entire Valley vulnerable to mega quakes. In
2011, the US-based seismologist, Roger G Bilham, warned that Kashmir is likely
to be hit by mega quake while quoting from his GPS-based study about gradual
movement of rocks in Zanskar Mountains in north of the Valley. He however
didn’t specify any time frame. "It is matter of public importance and
withholding such information is unconstitutional. The citizens have a right to
know about state's preparedness in view of frequent tremors and other natural
disasters,” Imaad said.
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