R.C.BHAT
Jammu, Jul 10 :
The unending spree of encroachments on the water flowing sources like nullahas, drains and even on the embankments of sacred river Tawi causes havoc every year during monsoon season. Jammuites faced a tough time with the torrential monsoon rain showers. The sleepy district administration keeps its fingers crossed over the removal of encroachments with psychosis fear of the big wigs resulting overflowing of nullahs and drains.
The lacklustrous approach of the authorities concerned was witnessed during recent torrential monsoon rains few days back in Jammu city which exposed the inefficiency of the agencies involved in the management of civic services in the city. Be it Jammu Muncipal Corporation, Jammu Development Authority, Era or Road and buildings department, the mismanaged handling of the situation arising out of the
Heavy monsoon rains……
heavy water logging in various localities of the city infusing a sense of fear in the minds of residents for a prospective flood like situation as was experienced about four years back.
However, the hollow claims of all these agencies about making sufficient arrangements to meet the challenge of heavy monsoon showers proved futile as Jammuites experienced lot of difficulties with water logging in low lying areas of city especially in Narwal Sabji mandi road, Green Belt park, Panama Chowk, Railway Station area, Digana, Preet Nagar,Talab Tillo, Krishna Nagar, Nanak Nagar,Jewel, Rajiv Nagar, Ghorkha Nagar are some of the areas which remain filled with dirty filthy rain water outpoured from choked drains and sewarge mainholes.The situation was so bad on the roads that passersby and two or four wheeler pliers too find it difficult to reach their destination by crossing one or two feet logged water. Most of the link roads in the city blacktopped recently have got damaged blocking the movement of vehicles and common masses.
It is not for the first time that Jammuites have to undergo such a worst water logging situation during the monsoon season but many a times the overflowing of Tawi waters have brought havoc to them causing heavy loss to their hearth and homes. The heavy losses occurred during flash floods four year back in Jammu and its suburbs areas too have not awakened the slackened municipal authorities and others. Had it been so the municipal authorities would have taken a initiative to cleanse the nullahs in proper time. The heaps of flith dumped in the nullahs add woes of Jammuites creating unhealthy environs for the people living nearby the choked stinking nullahs. While as the authorities of the JMC boast of protective measures in case of the any flood like situation in the coming days to face the monsoon showers wrath. But the people are unhappy over the functioning of the JDA department officials who have failed to put a stop on the growing incidents of encroachments so much so the in the recent rains the overflowing of sewerage mainholes throwing out all the flith on the roads too have provoked the residents of New Plot area to take out a protest against the era officials.The washing away of tarcoal has again disheartened the masses apprehending bad days to come. However, under national AMRIT mission the Urban Engineer and Environ department is taking steps to improve the conditions of nullahs and drains but encroachments too come in their way.
