Budgam June 23 (KNS): Chairman People's Democratic Front (PDF ) and former Minister Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen has expressed shock and grief over the loss of about 52 sheep , 8 horses and 5 cows due to cloud burst in upper reaches of khansahab in district Budgam. He said fruit and standing crops have also been damaged due to untimely snow fall and cloud bursts in various areas of the upper Khansahib belt especially in Tosaidan ,Yusmarg ,Doodhpathri Behaks adding that government should immediately announce adequate compensation in favour of the the affected sheep breeders and farmers .
In a statement issued on Thursday Hakeem Yaseen while expressing grief over the clossal loss caused to the farmers and sheep breeding families of the upper reaches of Khansahib , due to untimely snow fall and multiple cloud bursts ,has urged the government to announce adequate compensation in favour of the victims . He said natural calamity has struck many sheep breeding families in the upper belt of Khansahib , adding that flash floods in some areas of Budgam has totally destroyed paddy crops, which had snatched their livelihood . He has urged the district administration Budgam to send rescue and rehabilitation teams to Behaks in the upper belt of Khansahib to assess the quantum of loss and announce due compensation in favour of the affected families. He said nomadic shepherds and bakarwals should be allowed to set up make shift shelter sheds in various Behaks ( grazing lands) to protect them from the weather vagaries .
PDF Chairman observed that government has failed to keep its promise to provide relief to the affected families by natural calamities adding that in the present testing times government should act sincerely instead of doing lip service . " In a welfare state , government was duty bound to come to the rescue of its people in need of the hour ," Hakeem Yaseen maintained adding that victims of recent snow fall , incessant rains and multiple cloud bursts should be provided with adequate compensation and ex-gratia relief .
PDF Chairman has also urged the district administration Budgam to send joint teams of disaster management , revenue , horticulture, agriculture , sheep and animal husbandry departments to formulate a comprehensive relief package for the affected farmers . He has also urged for repairing all'the damaged irrigation Kohl's ,flood protection bunds , road culverts to meet any exigencies in future . He said flash floods have caused huge damage to the road network across the valley , which needs to be repaired machanized on warfooting basis .
Hakeem Yaseen has called for free distribution of chlorine tablets and disinfectants for cleaning drinking water ,among the people especially living in low lying areas . " This step would help to prevent outbreak of water borne diseases ," Hakeem Yaseen added.(KNS)