Jahangeer Ganaie
Pulwama, Sep 10: In the aftermath of the devastating floods that wreaked havoc on agricultural fields in Pulwama, a high-level delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) visited the affected areas on Wednesday to assess the scale of damage and listen to the grievances of the residents.
The delegation was led by J&K BJP President Sat Sharma, accompanied by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma, General Secretaries Mohammad Anwar Khan and Gopal Mahajan, and Vice-President Shahnaaz Ganaie.
They toured several flood-hit villages including Gusoo, Aglar, Hasanwani, and Pinglena, where farmers have suffered massive losses due to inundation of paddy fields and other crops.
Speaking to reporters Sat Sharma said that the purpose of the tour was to directly interact with the affected families and understand the challenges they are facing. “Our team visited different areas and personally saw the extensive damage caused by the floods. While loss of life and property has fortunately been minimal, the destruction of crops is widespread, and the livelihood of hundreds of families has been badly hit,” Sharma said.
He further said that the district administration has already prepared and forwarded the damage assessment report to higher authorities.
“We have been assured that once the final report is submitted, the affected people will be compensated under a special flood relief package that will be Prime Minister and Home Minister,” he said.
Sharma also revealed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had intended to visit Kashmir during his recent trip to Jammu, but due to inclement weather, he had to cut short his visit. “This reflects the seriousness of the government at the highest level towards addressing the concerns of the people,” he said.
During the interaction, locals highlighted the recurring issue of waterlogging and damaged road connectivity, saying that during heavy rains their roads remain submerged, leaving them unable to step out of their homes.
Sat Sharma assured the villagers that this concern would be taken up with the concerned authorities on priority.
LoP Sunil Sharma is expected to meet the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha later today to apprise him of the situation and press for immediate relief measures. “Our efforts will continue for the welfare of the people, and we will not rest until adequate compensation and long-term preventive measures are put in place,” Sat Sharma said.
