Children, aged persons falling prey to severe chest diseases
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 17: In a testimony of adverse impact of development, the National Highway widening works have continuously been creating environmental and health hazards in Jammu and Kashmir with large number of children and aged persons falling prey to serious chest diseases. However, agencies concerned have yet not started adhering to the mandatory provisions despite repeated instructions from the Government.
Now, in order to take holistic view of the grave issue and in the light of the fact that more developmental works would begin in near future, the Government is contemplating to have Social Environmental Framework so that all the pre and post constructional issues in respect of all mega projects are taken into account for necessary remedial measures well in time.
The serious environmental and health hazards being posed by the National Highway widening works have been highlighted by the Committee on Environment of Legislative Assembly in its latest report.
“The dumping of construction material and debris on road side by the concerned executing agencies is causing adverse effect/negative impact on environment besides putting the people residing in the peripheries of the National Highway to numerous hardships”, the report said, adding “large number of children and old aged persons have been caught up in serious chest diseases due to presence of dust in the air”.
“There is no focus on timely removal of material post dismantling of buildings and other structures during the road widening process”, the House Panel said, adding “lack of coordination between various agencies entrusted with the task of lifting the muck and other material from the sites is responsible for the prevailing situation”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Roads and Buildings Department, Border Roads Organization (BRO) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are the three main organizations which are contribution to road network system of Jammu and Kashmir and all these agencies are responsible for the prevailing health and environmental hazards.
Pointing towards widening of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway by Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) and GAMON India in Ramban district, the Committee on Environment has expressed its concern over throwing of muck directly into River Chenab during night by these agencies despite the availability of legal dumping yard in the area. “This is a serious concern for the people living in the district”, the House Panel has remarked.
“At bus stand in Ramban the dumping is causing serious health problems to the children of the area particularly lung diseases due to heavy dust particles etc”, the Committee said. This situation has also put Pollution Control Board in the dock as its authorities were supposed to take stock of the situation before passing necessary directions to the agencies engaged for widening of the National Highway.
Even the Deputy Commissioners and SSPs concerned are responsible for the prevailing situation as there are standing instructions to them for initiating steps for stabilizing all the dumping sites in their respective jurisdiction.
After being reprimanded over environmental and health hazards, the R&B Department has conveyed to the Committee on Environment headed by CPM MLA Mohd Yousuf Tarigami that it has started formulating Social Environmental Framework so that all the pre and post constructional issues in respect of all mega projects are taken into account for necessary remedial measures well in time.
However, the R&B Department has not conveyed any specific time-frame for completion of this exercise despite the fact that not only widening of National Highway the construction of roads in the interior parts of the State is also creating environmental and health hazards.
The House Panel has asked the Government to take necessary steps for plantation of trees alongside the road strips while executing the projects to improve environmental conditions at every place in the State. The Forest Department has been asked to take immediate measures for stopping the process of deforestation to protect and safeguard the environment in the State.
Stating that R&B Department has not taken up several projects for execution on prescribed time causing great inconvenience to the people, the Committee on Environment has expressed concern over delay in construction of Kishtwar-Simthan Road and directed the R&B Department to take necessary steps for completion of the project within the stipulated timeframe.
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