Mehbooba Mufti blames unbridled development for flood devastation; calls for SC intervention

Jammu, Sept 4 (PTI) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has blamed unbridled development in the Himalayan region for the devastation caused by the recent floods there.

She also urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance, calling the belt "very sensitive and delicate." The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir also termed India as the "elder brother" of Pakistan and said that reaching out to the neighbouring country in this moment of crisis would help ease troubled relations between the two nations.

"We have done a lot of damage to our environment and ecology, which has not only resulted in destruction and devastation but will also leave disasters as a legacy for future generations. People should wake up and speak up. The Supreme Court should take suo motu notice of this matter as the entire Himalayan region is very sensitive," Mufti told reporters here.

Mehbooba, who visited flood-hit areas of Jammu city, expressed grief over the loss of lives, including that of pilgrims. She criticised the current development model, citing reckless projects such as six-lane highways, tunnels and ropeways that have damaged the fragile ecosystems in Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab.

"The government has promoted a culture of contractors in the development process. Where there is no need for big projects, they are boring into the hills. Forests, rivers and land are being handed over to contractors at menial rates. Even temples and religious places are being reduced to picnic spots," Mufti said, citing the Amritsar-Katra highway and Char Dham projects as examples.

She also alleged large-scale illegal mining in rivers by outside contractors. "Big machines dig up to 5 metres deep instead of the permissible 1 metre, leaving our rivers hollow. This is an environmental disaster. Landslides, cloudbursts and floods will not stop if this continues," she warned.

Calling Chenab Valley a "well of death", Mufti said it may not remain livable for the next 10-15 years due to unchecked exploitation. She demanded strict regulation of tourism and pilgrim influx, warning against celebrating unchecked numbers of visitors at the cost of ecology.

On India's gesture of alerting Pakistan about floods after Operation Sindoor, the PDP chief said, "Pakistan and India are shaped by the same winds and broken by the same floods. Climate change knows no borders and is taking more lives than terrorism. India must lead with compassion." Invoking her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, she recalled how during the 2005 cloudburst he had told then external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee that if an "India-made bag" reached every household in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, people would understand India's real picture.

"This is an opportunity. We are a big country blessed by the Almighty. If we show wisdom and reach out to Pakistan in times of disaster, it will help resolve the troubled relationship between the two nations over Jammu and Kashmir," she added. PTI AB RUK RUK