Millions of years ago Jammu and Kashmir was the scene of some of the most violent tectonic events the earth has ever witnessed. When the Indian plate collided with the Asian landmass it saw the dramatic rise of the Himalayas and the formation of the oval-shaped Kashmir Valley in its wake. Kashmir was submerged under the remnants of the Tethys Sea till a major earthquake shattered the Baramulla massif and drained out the lake, leaving behind a magnificent valley that would later come to be described as a paradise on earth.

Prime Minister Modi on an aerial survey of Jammu and Kashmir.

In the past 60 years, what God had put asunder in the Valley, man began to couple together, with devastating results that last week saw the state turn into a living hell. The natural canals and waterways that drained much of the excess water flowing from melting glaciers and monsoon rains was steadily blocked as the Valley saw unprecedented growth of human dwellings. Towns and villages sprang up all across the banks and floodplains even choking the mouth of the valleys.

There have been floods in the past in Kashmir but what happened last Sunday is the worst in living memory. As a freak westerly disturbance collided with regular monsoon clouds the Valley got as much rain in a day as it normally does in a month. Within hours the River Jhelum began to swell to alarming levels and breached its embankments, submerging much of Srinagar and other major towns in South Kashmir, including Anantnag. The Valley turned into a vast lake of muddy brown water with only rooftops and electricity poles peeping out as markers of human habitation.

As the waters rose in some place by as much as 10 metres, power and communication lines snapped in Srinagar and its streets were turned into mini rivers. Over half a million were stranded on their rooftops waiting to be rescued. With the floodwater inundating all major government offices and buildings, for days the state administration headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah remained paralysed.

Narendra Modi, in his first big test of handling a natural disaster as Prime Minister, did well by visiting the state within a day and immediately granting Rs 1,000 crore for rescue and relief measures. The armed forces personnel did a magnificent job rescuing thousands at a great risk to their lives. Meanwhile, ordinary people in other parts of the country responded to distress calls donating money generously to relief funds and sending food, clothes and medicine to the affected areas.

As the floodwaters began to recede both in the Valley and in Jammu region, there is some semblance of order returning. Power and communication has been restored in many areas. Cell phones have started working as has the Internet. Much to our relief, many staffers of The Tribune in Srinagar whom we had not heard from called in to say they had survived. In the Valley itself, families were finally reconnecting with their near and dear ones and mourning the dead.

Yet the crisis is far from over. It would take weeks, even months, before the Valley and parts affected by floods in Jammu return to some degree of normalcy. There is an immediate threat of an epidemic breaking out with protected water being scarce and sewage overflowing. Food, clothing and shelter have to be provided to the lakhs rendered homeless. Money, manpower and material are needed to rebuild the houses destroyed by the floods, repair roads and other infrastructure.

Clearly the management of the disaster could have been handled far, far better. For instance, there could have been much better flow of information daily about how rescue efforts were progressing and what were the difficulties being encountered. The Union Home Ministry, which is the nodal agency for dealing with national calamities, could have set up a control room in Delhi that coordinated relief efforts by all agencies both governmental and non-governmental and put out regular bulletins. That would have created a sense of urgency and confidence that everything possible was being done to help the state.

All this is not to detract credit, particularly from the armed forces, the national disaster relief forces and the many dedicated Central and state officials who have done an outstanding job in the rescue and relief operations. Now is also not the time for harsh post-mortems. As a nation we must all come to the aid of a state that has been brought to its knees by an unprecedented natural calamity. Together we should help put Jammu and Kashmir back on its feet as quickly as possible.

Let’s heed the call given by the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister to extend to the people of Jammu and Kashmir all the help we can. Apart from extensive coverage of the calamity, The Tribune has set up a relief fund. We appeal to our readers to contribute generously towards it.

raj@tribuneindia.com