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Azad for coordinated effort to provide relief
SAIDULLAH RANGREZ. Dated: 5/14/2013 11:55:28 PM
10,000 tents needed to accommodate displaced persons
DODA, May 13: Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that 90 percent of residential houses and government buildings have been damaged due to the earthquake only at Bhaderwah and the need of the hour is to see how relief is provided to the affected people from state as well as central government.
“Maximum damage has been caused in Bhaderwah and we need over 10,000 tents to accommodate people displaced by the recent earthquake,” Azad told reporters here at Bhaderwah Campus where he visited for inspecting ongoing work of new two complex of campus. He was accompanied with R&B Minister Abdul Majeed Wani and MLC Naresh Kumar Gupta. Azad is on a 2-day visit to his home constituency Bhaderwah.
Azad called for a coordinated effort between the central and state governments for reconstruction of the damaged structures. “The need of the hour is to see how relief is provided to the affected people. The central and state governments should work towards that at all level,” said Azad adding, that continuous aftershocks in the area have instilled fear among the people and they are not willing to live inside the houses which have suffered partial damage. “As from yesterday I too observed one or two aftershocks.”
The Union Minister said it is need of the hour to mobilize all resources to provide succor to the affected families. He said that Vice Chairman, NDMA who accompanied him last week to Doda district to review the situation has constituted a technical team to formulate a comprehensive project for assessment as well as to conduct rescue operation for avoiding any damage in future and the team is on job and will submit its report in day or two. He assured that NDMA will do its best to provide all possible facilities to Doda, Bhaderwah and Bhalessa earthquake victims. He further said All India Red Cross Society has provided immediate relief to the sufferers and that steps are afoot to provide other necessary facilities to the people of the hilly areas.
Union Health Minister also said that all people of the area will not get tents but only those will be provided whose houses had gone completely damaged and soon cash assistance will also be provided. He said he is observing the pain of the people of Bhaderwah and himself is spending sleepless nights in Delhi and will leave no stone unturned for the welfare of the people of whole Doda district who had got affected due to recent earthquake.
To a query about the ongoing hospital issue at Bhaderwah, Azad while breaking his long silence said some people are trying to play politics. When he was the Chief Minister of the state he got constructed more than 30 new hospital buildings and all old hospital were shifted in new buildings. At Bhaderwah at the place of old hospital, Primary Health Center will be opened along with emergency services with one male and female doctor at the disposal of the people. He further said that no doubt new hospital is today functioning at the distance of 3 Kilometers away from main Bhaderwah town but that area is also a part of Bhaderwah tehsil and added that new Bhaderwah hospital is lonely hospital in whole Jammu region which have central heating system.
He also announced that at the place of old hospital in the heart of the town ANM school will also be opened and advised people to shun politics on the name of health services as no doubt there is shortage of doctors.
It is notable to mention here that Azad also visited earthquake hit areas of Bhaderwah town included Khakhal Mohalla, Vasuki Dera, Masjid Mohalla, Sari Bazaar and other localities besides also interacted with affected people. Not only this Azad also visited Jamia Masjid Bhaderwah where earthquake has damaged the mosque and also visited historical Vasuki Nag temple.
Speaking on the people, Azad said that development of far- flung and remote areas was the priority of the central as well as state governments and all out efforts are being made to provide all basic amenities to the earth quake affected people. He said road connectivity, medicare, education, drinking water and electricity are the thrust areas besides development of agriculture and other allied sectors is also under the active consideration. Various programmes have been initiated for the benefits of the poor people and upliftment of their socio-economic conditions of this backward area.
He also inspected the work of the Stadium, where he directed to the agency to complete the work in time. Later he visited the Girls Hr Sec School where 80 percent building was damaged by the quake and 15 girls students were injured on May 1. He directed the officers till the completion of the repairing of the school girls classes be opened at Government Boys Hr Sec School and make the arrangement for both boys and girls in two shifts. For girl students classes should start from 8.00 AM to 12.30 PM and for boys students from 1.00 PM to 5.00 PM.
Later he visited the new SDH hospital building where he asked the BMO Bhaderwah about the requirement of the doctors. BMO appealed to Azad that Anesthesia, child specialist and radiologist are needed urgent. He assured the BMO that these doctors will be sent soon after the discussing with state health minister.
Meanwhile, a deputation of Bhaderwah Hospital Bachao Front (BHBF) called on Union Health Minister. The deputation comprising Nazir Ahmed Mangnu, Balwant Rai Rathore, Hazi Abdul Qayoom, Abdul Rashid Ganai and Khan Mohammad Khan was led by senior citizen council president Bhagat Singh Manhas. After submitting the memorandum, leaders briefed the minister about the difficulties which common people of Bhaderwah have been compelled to face due to shifting of the SDH from its central location. They emphasized the need to strengthen the centrally located old hospital particularly in view of the lurking danger of earthquakes of which Bhaderwah has been declared as the epic centre. In his reply Azad assured the deputation a primary health centre with 24 hour emergency or a trauma centre would be opened in the old hospital in view of strong public demand.
It is worthwhile to mention here that when Azad last week after a visit to quake-ravaged erstwhile Doda district, he had reason to be pleased. In a span of two days, he had managed to wipe the despair off the faces of its people and replace it with hope as he announced various relief measures and also implemented same on the ground. The lackadaisical approach of the state government had ensured that rehabilitation was tardy, and most sops it had announced were promises on paper. But, Gulam Nabi Azad seems to have more than made up for it and Union Health minister's visit visibly put the state Government in overdrive. There were marked changes elsewhere as well. Although the demand for a resurvey of the damage in erstwhile Doda district had been pending yet after the arrival of Azad he pressed engineers and survey teams to undertake the study.
By the time the Union Health Minister landed, more than one thousand area had been covered by damaged assessment teams in Bhaderwah. "I wish the minister keeps coming here in his home constituency," said Raiz Ahmned Khan, a quake victim from Green Colony, adding that things would never have moved otherwise. "Even if he doesn't actually visit us, the mere announcement of such a plan by state government is enough to keep things going," echoes, a journalist. Azad, on his part, was circumspect.
While defending the state government against charges of discrimination in disbursement of aid and irregularities in the implementation of rehabilitation work in erstwhile Doda district, he pointed to the magnitude of the problem. In most other areas, it was only the Azad's visit that got the ball rolling. And for people who had lost all hope, the visit proved to be a windfall. Political observers said, "Azad has given a new lease of political life to the chief minister of the state who is facing the charges of discrimination with Chenab region in distribution of relief. The uproar over poor implementation of relief work has subsided at least for the time being. What the government needs is to understand that rehabilitation is no showcase affair. The changes must be felt on the ground - with or without another visit by the Union minister. Or else the goodwill may not take long to dissipate.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad also stressed on adopting advanced earthquake engineering technology in construction works to minimise loss of life and property during any calamity.
This region is under seismic zone and structures here must have ability to sustain earthquake shocks, Azad said while underlining the need of adopting earthquake engineering technology in construction works including government as well as private constructions in the region as the region is under seismic zone and the structures must have the ability to sustain after earthquake exposures. He said present earthquake has given an opportunity to understand the gravity of the issue and adopt latest technology in the constructions works so that loss of life and property could be minimize in any such future natural calamity. He said the structures which are made up of stiff and light weight material resists earthquake and are quite reliable and before going ahead with any construction plan the technical and professional advises must be taken.
Azad said all the affected families will be provided relief and help by the Government so that they will get rehabilitated, for which coordinated efforts are being made by the state as well as Central Government, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi are fully aware about the situation in the region are keen to provide all possible relief to the affected people. He also said that a team of National Disaster Management Authority New Delhi (NDMA) has been deputed in the region to access and ascertain the extent of damage in residential as well as government building.
Azad also inspected various ongoing developmental works in Bhaderwah and directed the concerned executing agencies to expedite the pace of work for timely completion. He also convened a meeting of officers in Bhaderwah and directed the district administration to ensure coverage of all the affected people in the survey report so that clear picture goes to the government and the relief and assistance reaches to the deserving affected population.
A large number of people met the Minister in Ghat, Doda apprised the about the damages caused to their houses by the earthquake. He made an extensive visit of Government Schools in Ghat, Doda and Bhaderwah and assessed the damages. DDC Doda Mubarak Singh was also present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, while talking to Kashmir Times, Sarpanch Malan Dessa Om Parkash revealed that in his Panchayat and other parts of Dessa valley, almost every house was found with cracks and most of them are termed as unsafe and many of them have left their houses. However, the building of Primary School Bogla Motha, Middle School Ponda, Eid Gah Ponda, High School Malan, Middle School Gramri and Primary School Saras also got damage with the recent earthquake that happened on May 1, 2013 around 12.30 PM. The people of this region are in anger and showed great resentment that still the district administration not provided them the tents for those who are homeless.