The untimely rains lashing the region have brought life to a standstill at many places with road network snapped and many vehicles with people and goods stranded. The scenario is the reflection of sorry state of emergency services prevailing in the State. Though the State Government claims to have disaster management agencies to handle such situation but given the conditions prevailing there is no body for the rescue of the people stuck up at various places. The torrential rains have created havoc in the whole Chenab Valley. Due to shooting stones at several places on Doda – Batote stretch of NH1B and landslide at Khelani traffic has been suspended. The heavy to moderate rainfall has triggered landslides at Raggi Nallah and other areas due to which the vehicular movement on Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway (NH1B) was disrupted. Torrential rains once again blocked Batote-Doda-Kishtwar Highway due to landslides and heavy boulders near Ragi Nallah, due to which vehicular movement came to stand still. Every year such scenes are repeated and the agencies are always caught unawares. As far as damage to the crops concerned hailstorms and strong winds followed by torrential rains have caused widespread damages in various areas of Rajouri District. Farmers in Sunderbani, Kalakote and Nowshera areas of the district are worried as their Rabi crop has suffered massive damage. They have demanded help from the State Government. Border Roads Organisation (BRO) which is entrusted with the job of maintenance of Batote-Doda-Kishtwar NHW has put their men on job to make the road through which is the only connectivity to the twin districts of Doda and Kishtwar having over 11 lakh people. State administration it looks has not learned any lessons from the 2014 floods and the widespread damages caused therein. State needs a calamity-centered disaster management system which can foresee and take quick action wherever and whenever required. At present whatever the disaster management force the State has is comprised of majority of Home Guards who are not trained efficiently to carry out rescue operation during the emergency.
