Pampore: Residents of Pampore area in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district demanded urgent repairs of Jhelum embankments in the area which according to them have not been given due attention after the 2014 floods.
The resident’s said that the damaged embankments pose a threat to residents because the embankments get breached after rains and the adjoining residential areas become submerged.
They demanded that the river embankments should be constructed and breaches should be repaired as soon as possible to increase its strength.
The Civil society members and residents of Saffron town Pampore have again appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to immediately take up the repairing of the banks so that the town does not meet the fate of 2014 floods, locals told Kashmir Reader.
General Secretary Auqaf Committee Pampore, Muhammad Sultan Shah told Kashmir Reader that 2014 floods wreaked a havoc in Pampore.
“The river caused major breaches in Drangbal and Galander area, the area remained submerged for about six years,” he said, adding that after the floods no one bothered to raise the embankments.
“We request LG to visit the area for an on spot inspection,” he said.
The local residents demanded that the Jhelum embankments at Galander, Drangbal, Frestabal, and Kadlabal areas of Pampore should be strengthened to avoid any possibility of breach.
Mohammad Yousuf Malik, a civil society member of Pampore told Kashmir Reader that they appealed authorities multiple times for repairing of damaged embankments and raising the level of the embankment,but to no avail.
“Our pleas fell to deaf areas,” he said.
Executive Engineer Flood control division Kakapora, Mukhtar Ahmad Shah told Kashmir Reader that after 2014 floods they managed a number of spots under flood management phase one.
“A DPR under Flood managed programme phase second and other DPR for managing critical spots, were submitted , which were approved for 2019- 2020 but the work was halted due to covid pandemic,” he said, adding they can start after it gets revalidated by higher authorities.

BILAL HABIB