It is a serious matter that J&K largely being mountainous region with many people living on steep slopes and landslide prone areas should revisit planning to ensure safeguard against landslides, mudslides, stone slides and floods which have lately become common killing the people on vehicles, in homes and at business establishments, whichever comes under the wrath of the aforesaid calamities. Perched on slanting hills and mounts or at unstable terrains, these inhabitants are literally living on the edge, not just geographically but also in terms of earning bread and butter and while doing the daily chores
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In the same context, the reports pouring in from Narsoo-Samroli area along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH 44) in Udhampur district have confirmed about a massive landslide that struck a hotel causing its collapse and of several adjoining buildings. Though the deaths and injuries have not yet been reported as the rescue operation is at preliminary stage, the incident has once again raised a big question regarding the safety of people living in hilly terrains as similar cases have gone up in recent years in J&K and other states as well.
Reportedly, the aforementioned incident has triggered panic in the area, with rescue teams, police, and local authorities rushing to the spot to launch a massive rescue operation. This incident is a stark reminder that the much has to be done to stop loss of lives and property in such catastrophic incidents because the administration cannot sit idle and watch destruction happening without taking any steps. The government in J&K is akin to the welfare state as it has promised over 5000 houses to those who have lost their own in the recent floods and landslides across the UT.
It becomes imperative that the local administrations in all the districts in J&K should carry out safety audits of all buildings including government and private to identify the ones which are perilous and vacate them sooner than later. Even if the government has to provide alternatives to the population displaced in the aforesaid exercise, it should not shun its responsibility for arranging an alternate because nothing is more important than the safety of the subjects of the Union Territory. The people on the other hand should also voluntarily ask the government to conduct safety audits of their buildings and demand a substitute house of business establishment replacing the dangerous ones.
