Infrastructure damage in Jammu and Kashmir floods could touch Rs 6,000 crore

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir has suffered massive damage to its public infrastructure due to the worst floods it has faced in more than a century and officials say that the state would need at least Rs 5,000 crore to rebuild the same.

Even a conservative estimate of the damage to public infrastructure like bridges, roads, hospitals and other government buildings puts the figure at between Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 6,000 crore, Secretary to the state government's Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Department, Vinod Kaul, told PTI.

Kaul said that in a presentation made to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to the state last week, the estimated damage to public infrastructure was pegged at around Rs 1,000 crore.

The damage is very widespread in the summer capital of J&K as most government facilities here have been hit by the floods, he said.

Read: J&K floods: Shortage of medicines in Srinagar

Satellite images showing clouds over Jammu & Kashmir. (Photo: ANI Twitter)

While most parts of south Kashmir -- spread over the four districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama -- were hit by floods in the early days of September, over 60 per cent of Srinagar city was marooned by the rampaging Jhelum on September 7.

Five major hospitals in the city -- SMHS Hospital at Kaka Sarai, Lalla Ded Hospital at Wazirbagh, SKIMS Hospital at Bemina, Bone and Joint Hospital at Barzulla and GB Pant Hospital at Sonawar -- were hit by the floods as Jhelum river breached its embankments at several places.

While there has not been much damage yet to the buildings of these hospitals, equipment worth hundreds of crores of rupees has been damaged and might need complete replacement if the water level in the city does not recede quickly.

Read: Jammu & Kashmir floods: Lashkar ‘naval unit’ may infiltrate Kashmir Valley

At least 50 small and big bridges have been damaged by the floods while long stretches of several important roads have been washed away.

The above reports are of the period prior to Srinagar getting hit by the floods. "We are yet to analyse the damage caused in the last six or seven days," Kaul said.

The official said the banks of the Jhelum were breached at many places and repairs and reinforcement would be needed at these spots to ensure that the flow of water into the city is stopped.

At present, breaches near Lalla Ded Hospital and Khidmat complex on either side of Jhelum are flooding the southern and northern areas of the city, respectively.

Civil Secretariat, High Court complex and Sadar court complex housing the subordinate courts, Accountant General's Office, SDA complex, Board of School Education, Directorate of Agriculture and Hajj House are some of the prominent buildings which are still under several feet of water.

Kaul said the damage to private infrastructure like residential houses and private commercial buildings is expected to be huge but the real picture would start to emerge once the officials of his department start the loss assessment process.

"Once the flood waters have receded, we will start the damage assessment process. Till then, it would not be right to hazard a guess on the magnitude of the damage to private property," he added.

The officials are not yet talking about the damage to standing crops, horticultural produce and saffron crops but the losses here are expected to run close to Rs 10,000 crore as only apples from Kashmir fetch an annual return of close to Rs 4,000 crore.

"Our priority right now is to ensure that people are rescued and get relief from floods. The rest will follow in due course," said Kaul.