Jitendra Singh hits out at Omar Abdullah government for ignoring flood warnings

JAMMU: Union Minister Jitendra Singh today alleged that Jammu and Kashmir authorities had ignored the warnings by the Metereological department about floods, which ravaged the Kashmir Valley, particularly the Srinagar City.

"We had issued similar flood warnings to the governments of Uttrakhand and Jammu and Kashmir to undertake measures in this regard. While Uttrakhand government responded to flood warnings, J&K government ignored it," Singh told reporters here today.

He was replying to volley of questions on the blame game over floods that battered Kashmir valley, particularly Srinagar city, in September resulting in huge loss of lives and damage to the property.

"Nobody (in J&K) bothered when water level crossed the danger mark (despite issuance of several Met department warnings) and Srinagar sunk," he said.

I personally monitored the situation at the Met office and was instrumental in sending alerts to J&K government under my own supervision about abnormally high rainfall hitting Pirpanchal in south and central Kashmir, he said, adding the government remained in deep slumber even when the flashfloods wreaked havoc in districts of Jammu region and Kashmir valley.

Singh released a two-page chargesheet against Jammu and Kashmir government for its failure to take call on floods to save hundreds of lives and damage caused to infrastructure. He also questioned the preparedness on part of Omar government to save J&K from flood fury.