The Devastation of Jammu and Kashmir Floods in 2014

Even with the most advanced technology serving us, natural disasters still leave us feeling totally helpless. They come and shake up our lives, leaving devastation and casualties in its wake. One such calamity was faced by what we call ‘Paradise on Earth,’ the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

In September 2014, the beautiful valley faced the worst flooding in almost 60 years. Incessant rains during the first week of the month resulted in massive floods. In many parts of the state, the water level was about 12 feet deep and submerged entire villages. In Srinagar, homes as high as two storeys were submerged in water.

According to data released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, nearly 12,565 structures were destroyed, 2,600 villages were washed away, and approximately 770 people lost their lives due to nature's onslaught. While some people had life insurance of India, others left behind families in complete financial crisis. Damaged homes that needed immediate repairs, huge medical bills and the loss of belongings left people distraught. No one thinks of life insurance plans at such times, but these can help rebuild the lives of your loved ones. No wonder they are considered as guardian angels.

Since mother nature does not recognize political boundaries, the violent outburst stretched beyond India, causing devastation in several parts of Pakistan such as Lahore, Rawalpindi and Sailkot.

PM Modi's Intervention

As soon as the heart-wrenching news reached the PMO, Mr. Narendra Modi instantly left for Jammu and Kashmir to take stock of the entire situation by conducting an aerial view of the flood affected areas. After attending a high-level meeting with the then Chief Minister of J&K, Omar Abdullah, PM Modi announced a compensation of Rs.1000 crores for the state. While this is indeed a huge amount of aid, the magnitude of the destruction was such that people were still running helter-skelter trying to device a way to rebuild their homes, and their lives.

Rescue Operations

A total of 83 aircrafts and helicopters, 350 boats, 10 battalions of the Border Security Force (BSF) and 330 columns of the Indian Army were deployed to rescue the civilians trapped in the floods. There were three aircrafts that carried a total of nearly 50 tonnes of essential supplies including food, medicine, drinking water and clothes for the people left with practically no resources. According to Lt. General Subrata Saha of the Indian Army, over 200,000 people were rescued from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir. He further added that the rescue operations would not have been successful without the assistance and determination of the local youth.

Sometimes it’s difficult to predict a natural calamity and contain the damage through timely action. 

Some strategies are being devised to protect cities from floods, including the construction of flood channels, conducting dredging at regular intervals, monitoring land use and land cover, among others.

Proper disaster management needs to be implemented. As responsible citizens, we could assist in the implementation of such techniques. Besides this, opting for life insurance plans in India is very important to safeguard the financial future of loved ones.