The fear of the unknown is becoming more real with days passing in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir. With totally crippled administration and Chief Minister making it public ‘I had no government’, whatever efforts put in the direction of relief operations have come to a naught with no body from the administration to take control of the ground situation. A paralysed administration with calamity looming large is the status. As more men and machinery is pushed into service by armed forces to step up the operations, bureaucrats and ministers were fleeing from the flood-affected Kashmir Valley. Under such circumstances anger and ire of the public which is facing the hardship is genuine not only this all good efforts put in the direction of relief operations have got stymied. The death count is feared to cross over four hundred. Officially there is no word till date on the causality in terms of lives and material. The fear of more fatalities is turning out to be a reality where gushing waters did not give much needed time for the residents to move out to safer places especially in hilly areas of Jammu region in the districts of Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur and Ramban. Under these circumstances one can foresee the looming threat of epidemic outbreak. Everywhere it is anxiety writ large on the faces of the people awaiting water to recede. Jammu region too has its share of hardship. Most of the water lifting stations operated by Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department along the Tawi and Chenab Rivers damaged in many parts of the Jammu region are yet to receive potable water supply. Sittle Filtration Plant in Nagrota and Boria and Dhontli Water Lifting Stations which supply 70 per cent of water for 15 lakh people in Jammu have suffered extensive damage. A major part of Jammu city is receiving partial water supply. Power infrastructure too has taken its hit. With total paralysis of the system the fear of the worst is becoming a reality every day. Government machinery has to be brought in action and not to take refuge in statements and not just having photo ops of food dropping.
