We will prepare a comprehensive flood management program

Aman Zutshi

Jammu and Kashmir’s National Conference party Vice President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday (April 30) visited the flood affected families in Handwara area of Kashmir’s Kupwara district and asserted that they will prepare a comprehensive flood management program for the people and will do everything in their capacity to help people.

Responding to media query after meeting flood affected families in Handwara, Omar Abdullah said, Since some days due to incessant rains in several areas of Kashmir floods have come and it has crossed over the dams and since yesterday news is coming out that several houses are waterlogged by flood water, people have sustained so much loss. The situation of many areas is very bad”.

“I suspended my campaign and talked with party members and we decided to come here to take stock of the situation. I am doing efforts to meet people who have suffered impact of floods. I am visiting flood affected people in person and we are trying to help with whatever we can. It is understandable that we have to prepare a comprehensive flood management program for this area and it cannot be done overnight. But whatever we have witnessed through our eyes it is sure that we will prepare a comprehensive flood management program for this area”, Omar told a group of reporters.

When asked about Election Campaign and Nomination, Abdullah added, “I have not come here to do campaign, we will do on the due day. On 2 May, I will file my nomination papers and on 6 May I will start my campaign from here and that time media is free to ask me any question regarding the election campaign, because wherever I am visiting today I’m not talking about politics at all. ‘My today’s motive was not to do campaign or ask for votes but only to share people’s pain and do something for the people using some of our influence and position and there is no other objective I have to come here.

On being asked about the compensation for flood victims, Abdullah said, “People must get the compensation of the losses they have suffered due to this flood as there are so many houses, where flood water is accumulated more than 2-3 inches and with great difficulty people are trying to pull out water from their homes using water pumps”.

Responding to a media query about 2014 Kashmir floods, Abdullah said, “We have not forgot the 2014 Kashmir floods and still remember how much damage these floods cause and know what happens when water goes in houses”.