Kashmir flood victims hopeful of PM Modi stepping up relief work during his visit

Srinagar: Thousands of people rendered homeless by the deluge in Jammu and Kashmir last month are pinning their hopes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Diwali visit to the Valley, expecting him to announce a substantial package that can help them rebuild their homes before the onset of winter. [caption id=“attachment_1767227” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] PM Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir on Diwali. AFP[/caption] “We are hopeful that the Prime Minister, who has decided to spend Diwali in Srinagar, will announce a good package for the flood victims so that we can start picking up the threads of life again,” Ghulam Ahmad, who is putting up with his family in a tent at Batamaloo said. Ahmad is one of the over one lakh house owners in Jammu and Kashmir whose dwellings were destroyed by the century’s worst ever floods in the state. The Prime Minister on Tuesday tweeted that he would spend Diwali, on Thursday, in flood-hit Srinagar.“Will be in Srinagar on Diwali, 23d October & will spend the day with our sisters & brothers affected by the unfortunate floods,” PM Modi tweeted. This will be his fourth visit to Jammu and Kashmir since taking charge as the Prime Minister in May.

Will be in Srinagar on Diwali, 23rd October & will spend the day with our sisters & brothers affected by the unfortunate floods.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 21, 2014

Many flood victims feel that Modi’s visit will not be just symbolic and the Prime Minister will announce a comprehensive plan so that the state and its people are able to rebuild the infrastructure destoyed by the floods. “I do not think it will only a symbolic visit. He will be spending the diwali in Kashmir and expectations are high that he will come with a big gift,” Mushtaq Ahmad, another flood victim, said. According to official figures, the floods destroyed 1.04 lakh houses across the state while over 1.5 lakh houses suffered partial damage due to the natural calamity. Official figures put the number of people living in tents at less than one lakh. However, the number of homeless in Kashmir is believed to be close to six lakh people as most of them are putting up with relatives, friends or in rented accommodation. The state government has submitted to the Centre a memorandum of losses due to floods to the tune of Rs 44,000 crore. A major chunk of the package pertains to compensation in respect of the houses destroyed or damaged in the floods. According to the proposal, which was approved in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the second week of October, the state government has sought a payment of ex-gratia relief against the loss of private structures to the tune of Rs 9 lakh for fully damaged pucca house, Rs six Lakh for fully damaged kucha house, Rs four Lakh for partially damaged kucha and pucca houses and Rs one lakh for other structures. It has also sought housing loans up to Rs 20 lakh at four percent interest only for those affected families whose houses are fully damaged. A major worry for the flood victims is the onset of winter as they are left with less than a month of working season in Kashmir. “If the homeless people are not able to start construction within a week, they will have to wait till April next year as the concrete does not set in well during sub-zero temperatures,” Abdul Gaffar, a mason, said. The government has plans to procure prefabricated structures for housing the homeless people during the winter months. In the first phase, 500 prefabricated huts will be procured. The weather has so far been kind to the flood victims as the day temperatures are hovering around 20 degrees Celsius, which is only one degree below the normal for this time of the year while the minimum temperature last night was seven degrees Celsius - two degrees above normal. PTI