Nepal’s horrifying tragedy is an eye-opener for illegal constructions in the “Red Zone” Poonch; No lesson learnt by the administration; Poonch city is at higher risk

Nepal’s horrifying tragedy is an eye-opener for illegal constructions in the “Red Zone” Poonch; No lesson learnt by the administration; Poonch city is at higher risk

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: The recent Nepal tragedy in which thousands of people were swept away along with huge private and government infrastructure by a horrifying flood has shaken the inner consciousness of everybody.

This flood has given a message that it’s very dangerous to live near the water bodies, as it takes a few moments for a flood stream to create havoc. But unfortunately, no lesson has been learnt by the Poonch administration, as illegal constructions near the water bodies in the “Red Zone” have become routine affairs. After the devastating 2014 floods, mushrooming growth of illegal constructions has taken place in the “Red Zone” areas despite strict orders of the administration banning any type of construction, but who cares, as the laws are meant only for the weak people because the officers of the administration have been seen dancing to the tunes of land grabbers for years. The Uttarakhand flood tragedy of June 2013 and various tragedies in different parts of the world, including the latest Nepal tragedy, have given indications time and again that it’s highly risky to live near the water bodies. The latest Nepal tragedy did not give people a chance to save themselves, as within seconds, the whole area washed away, leaving behind signs of destruction only. Despite witnessing a number of examples of nature’s fury, it’s sad that the district administration  Poonch has not moved an inch because the majority of officers of the administration have their self-interest with the land grabbers in the ‘Red Zone’ areas. The people living near the water bodies are at high risk, but rather than taking lessons from such repeated natural disasters, more and more illegal constructions are going on in the “Red Zone”, and who would be held responsible if a powerful flood of high intensity strikes Poonch City again? Due to the mushrooming growth of illegal constructions in the ‘Red Zone” areas from Bufflaiz to Poonch, a number of places are at high risk of being washed away by the floods. Even the ancient Poonch city is at high risk from floods because at maximum places in the “Red Zone”, huge illegal constructions have taken place, making the city the easiest if we witness a flood of high intensity level. Rather than passing time in their office chambers, the concerned officers of the Poonch administration need to plan something to avoid a similar Nepal-like disaster. The Poonch city is at high risk from various natural and man-made disasters, and after the 2014 floods, Operation Sindoor in 2025 was one such disaster which exposed the failure of the Poonch administration on all the fronts. Although the district administration has no big visionary faces in various departments, it is likely that if the same flood of higher intensity strikes, then nobody will come to the rescue of the Poonch people.