Srinagar: Six years after massive floods ravaged Kashmir, the government has woken up to take action against the “illegal constructions” which were one of the reasons for the occurrence of the devastating 2014 floods.
According to a document, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang Kondbarao Pole has directed revenue, irrigation and floods control departments as well as the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to initiate action against the illegal constructions along flood spill channel in Kashmir.
“Huge encroachment has been done in the past, which needs to be removed to avoid the damage occurred in 2014 floods,” the document says. “The I&FC Department shall issue notices to the encroachers to vacate the encroachment otherwise they shall be strictly dealt with by the law governing the subject. Besides, the copy of the same shall be forwarded to SMC.”
About 250 structures have been found to be constructed illegally within the prohibited areas along the flood spill channel.
The document also says that there has been no fresh construction witnessed in the recent past.
The I&FC department has been asked to prepare a list of encroachments on flood spill channel along Rambagh, Doodhganga and Jhelum River.
Deputy Commissioners of Srinagar and Budgam have been tasked to jointly demarcate the flood spill channel and notify the structures which will have to be removed to increase the volume of the channel.
“A joint demarcation of the flood spill channel shall be conducted by the Revenue and I&FC department,” reads the document.
The Commissioner SMC, according to the document, would provide the permission list of the last three years of the area where NOC of I&FC has been sought for issuing the building permission.
It is believed that the habitations which have come around flood channels illegally were one of the reasons for the 2014 floods. Many reports suggested that they blocked the movement of rainwater. Besides, the water carrying capacity of the flood spill channels was reduced due to the accumulation of silt.

Junaid Nabi Bazaz