JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Border Area Development Conference (JK-BADC), a registered organization working actively for the welfare of tribal and border residents of Jammu and Kashmir, has strongly appealed to the District Administration Poonch as well as the J&K Government to provide immediate and adequate relief to the victim families who have suffered losses due to continuous rainfall and harsh weather conditions in various areas of border town Mendhar.
Dr. Shazad Ahmed Malik, Chairman of JK-BADC and former Vice Chancellor, urged the authorities to take serious note of the situation and initiate prompt relief measures for the affected people. He emphasized that the government must act without delay and offer every possible assistance to those whose lives and properties have been impacted by the recent downpour.
Dr. Shazad further shared that his organization has already written a detailed letter in June-2025 to the Deputy Commissioner of Poonch, urging the district administration to chalk out a proactive and comprehensive plan to deal with monsoon-related disasters in the region, especially considering the vulnerability of this hilly district to such natural calamities.
He specifically mentioned that residents of Panchayat Sangiote in Block Balakote have been the worst hit in the recent spell of bad weather. Not only have several residential houses suffered damage, but other public and private infrastructure has also been badly affected, including a local Madrasa that caters to the educational needs of the area.
Dr. Shazad also drew attention to reports received by his organization from local villagers, which suggest that some excavation work was carried out by a construction company in the same Panchayat. That work, however, was left incomplete and abandoned about a month ago. He alleged that this abandoned excavation may have directly contributed to the damage caused to homes and buildings in the area. He demanded that a proper probe be ordered to investigate the matter and that responsibility must be fixed, with necessary action taken against those found guilty.