CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has called for an urgent, time-bound inquiry into the recent loss of lives in the Kishtwar cloudburst, terming the tragedy a result of “criminal negligence.”

Tarigami, who chairs the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly’s environment committee, questioned why precautionary measures were not taken despite early warnings issued by the Meteorological Department about severe rainfall, cloudbursts, and flash floods in the higher reaches of the Jammu region.

“Why were these alerts ignored? Why were preventive steps not taken? It amounts to criminal negligence,” the veteran Communist leader said.

He blamed “bureaucratic inertia” and unregulated human activity for aggravating natural disasters.

“Such disasters are not merely natural but are intensified by reckless exploitation of resources, deforestation, unauthorised stone crushers, and the commodification of land under the neoliberal paradigm,” he said.

Tarigami stressed that working-class and marginalised communities in Jammu and Kashmir are often the worst affected.

“They cannot continue to be sacrificial lambs at the altar of profit-driven environmental degradation,” he remarked.

Calling for climate justice, he urged greater coordination between government departments, NGOs, and civil society groups to frame and implement climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. He demanded institutional mechanisms for “climate reparations” to ensure rehabilitation and compensation for affected communities.

The CPI(M) leader also emphasised the need for stronger early warning systems, including Doppler radars, weather satellites, and mobile-based alerts, along with local broadcasters and loudspeakers in vulnerable areas to ensure timely dissemination of warnings.

“A mass movement must be launched to combat deforestation, regulate unsustainable construction, and protect fragile ecosystems from corporate loot,” he said, adding that the Assembly’s environment committee will mobilise people across political lines in pursuit of climate justice.

Expressing concern over the rising frequency of extreme weather events, Tarigami pointed to recurring tragedies at shrines where thousands of devotees gather annually.

He called for comprehensive surveys and assessments of vulnerable regions by the environment department and other agencies to frame preventive measures against cloudbursts and safeguard human lives.