Mehbooba Mufti Criticizes Govt Lethargy, Seeks Relief to Flood Affected Anantnag

Following the destructive floods that ravaged Anantnag district, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday toured some of the affected areas to survey damage and unite with residents. Her tour took her to Fruit Mandi Jablipora, Shamshipora, Mehdi Kadal, Ganjiwara, and Ashajipora–areas severely affected by swollen water levels that drowned houses, destroyed apple crops, and interrupted livelihoods.

At Jablipora Fruit Mandi, fruit traders and orchardists recounted their experience, describing how fruit worth tonnes had been destroyed just when the harvest season had started. Mufti termed the devastation as calamitous for horticulture-dependent families. “This is not only water seeping into homes. This is the story of families losing their year’s worth of livelihood in a night,” she said.

The PDP president stressed that relief and rehabilitation were of immediate necessity. “The government needs to move fast in terms of evaluating the damage and giving proper assistance to the affected families, particularly fruit growers whose crop has been ruined before harvesting,” she further added.

In a strongly worded criticism of the Omar Abdullah government, Mufti accused it of not using available resources. “I request Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to question the Centre about why Rs. 1,683 crore dispatched for the Jhelum under the PM package went unused, and what became of the Rs. 1,500 crore World Bank loan for Jhelum and Tawi rejuvenation,” she demanded.

Mufti also associated the crisis with overall structural failures in Jammu and Kashmir’s economy. “Horticulture is the lifeline of J&K. Tourism is already gone. Alas, whenever the national highway is blocked, there is a huge loss to horticulture because fruits get rotten because of the absence of cold storage facilities. This is leading to unemployment and paucity of funds.”. I urge the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference government to restore the highway at the earliest to aid in the recovery,” she said.

Her comments reflected those of local people who mobilized in Ganjiwara and Shamsipora, many of whom implored early compensation to reconstruct their homes and protect their means of livelihood. As winter set in, residents said that timely action was crucial.

Ending her tour, Mehbooba Mufti reaffirmed the resolve of her party to support the people of Anantnag and pledged to bring their issues before every platform until sufficient relief reaches the victimized families.