Ever since the devastating floods in September 2014, the people of Kashmir have been suffering miserably. The floods damaged houses, water pipes, roads, bridges and also led to cuts in electricity supply in many areas.
Even in bitter cold many flood victims were forced to stay in tents with bare minimum facilities and no heating equipments. Some of them are still living with their close relations. There has been shortage of food too as the floods also hit standing crops.
"We are still living in tents after floods and there is no arrangement of heating systems and houses that will protect us from the cold winter. Our children are suffering from cold, fever, cough and several diseases due to unhygienic condition," says Kamaruddin, a resident of Adipora in Sopore.
The flood-hit victims have spent the most bitter winter months of November, December, January and February under extreme difficulties.
Ashtungu, Kema, Aloosa and other villages in Bandipora district were also severely affected by floods. Most of the houses, schools and agricultural fields were completely destroyed. One of the relief committees headed by Rehamtullah Sahab and Mohammad Iqbal Shah from Bandipora collected relief items donated by the volunteers in the form of cash, blankets, tents, CGI sheets, rice bags for the flood victims.
The students of the Aloosa could not attend their schools as the all schools were washed away due to the flood and landslide.
In Sopore town a newly constructed colony 'Sheer Colony' where the poor and landless had constructed two-room shelters was also hit by floods. They are still living in the open sky looking and still waiting for government assistance.
While the state government announced immediate relief to the victims, but till date no steps have been taken to rehabilitate the flood affected people. The people of Sheer Colony are crying and calling for help, but in absence of a government nobody has come forward to help them.
Jammu and Kashmir summer capital Srinagar and other cities like Handwara and Sonwar have been witnessing power cuts, sometimes as long as eight hours. "The long power cuts leave us numb in sub-zero temperatures," says Hanifa Begum from Handwara.
The state government provided financial assistance in the form of cash, free ration and cloths but the victims call is too little too late.
The state government had submitted a proposal to the Central government during the flood seeking a relief package of Rs 44,000 crore for reconstruction of houses and other establishments of the flood victims, but the proposal has not yet been accepted.
A flood victim Altaf Wani says, "At present, we are waiting for the government assistance. We have repaired our assets by our own resources. Elections were held in the Jammu and Kashmir but the two largest parties PDP and BJP have failed to form the government till date. This is also one of the reasons why no heed is being paid towards the problems of flood victims," he added.
Floods have also hit Kashmir's tourism industry, which is an immense source of income for both government and public.
"I am hopeful that after this tourist season I would be able to pay back all the instalments of loan that I had taken from a private bank to buy my vehicle," says Ghulam Hassan, a taxi driver of Srinagar.
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