Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Deputy Commissioner Budgam Athar Aamir Khan on Tuesday carried out an on ground inspection of the Jhelum embankment at Zonipora, Rakh Shalina, in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, as authorities stepped up flood preparedness amid continuous rainfall across the Valley. The visit comes at a time when district administrations across Kashmir have been placed on heightened alert to prevent any repeat of the flood related damage the region has witnessed in past monsoon and rain spells.
During the inspection, Khan directed the concerned departments to remain on high alert and ensure round-the-clock monitoring of the embankment. He stressed the need for close inter-departmental coordination so that any emerging threat to the embankment’s structural integrity could be met with a prompt and coordinated response. Officials were instructed to keep all necessary preventive measures in place to safeguard both lives and property in the vicinity, while ensuring the availability of adequate manpower, machinery and other essential resources for any emergency intervention.
The Deputy Commissioner also interacted directly with local residents during the visit, assuring them that the district administration was closely tracking the evolving situation and was committed to taking every necessary step to ensure public safety. He urged the local population to remain vigilant and to extend full cooperation to the administration’s efforts, particularly in adhering to any advisories issued during the ongoing spell of rainfall.
Khan further directed the concerned departments to ensure that irrigation facilities for farmers in the area remain uninterrupted, even as precautionary work continues. Notably, he advised against laying irrigation pipes beneath the embankment structure, cautioning that such practices could weaken its overall stability and increase vulnerability during high water flow. Officials were also instructed to take strict action against any violators found compromising the embankment’s safety, alongside continued efforts to reinforce and strengthen the structure itself.
The inspection was attended by a wide array of senior officials, including Additional District Development Commissioner Vivek Agarwal, Additional Deputy Commissioner Taufeeq Ahmad Gazi, the chief planning officer, superintending engineers, executive engineers from various engineering departments, the concerned tehsildar, and other district officers, underlining the administration’s coordinated approach to flood management this season.
