Water wasted

Sir,

Jammu Shivaliks and getting good monsoon this year but again Govt. is in deep slumber as usual and no effort was made to conserve the rain water which has gone down the drain. Whole of Jammu province is passing through a water crisis and city dwellers as well as farmers face uncertain water supply due to drying up of natural sources and falling ground water table.

A major portion of Jammu Shivaliks stretching from Lakhanpur to Sunder Bani is known Kandi area due to geological problem of presence of thick bed of boulders under the surface of soil as a result the rain water can not be absorbed to go deep and drains downward due to steep gradient of hills. This is the reason we see deep dry ravines full of boulders known as 'Khads' locally. Adding fuel to the fire is ever depleting forest cover over the years due to forest fires, encroachments, land grabbing, illegal felling of trees, mushroom growth of brick kilns, extensive chir resin tapping, timber mafia etc. It has been estimated that 90 percent of forest cover has been lost during last decade due to above mentioned factors and recurrent droughts.

The media blitz with appeals of the Prime Minister & other VVIP's regarding conservation of rain water and observing month of July & August as water months had no effect on insensitive J&K Govt. and no Govt. activity is seen to conserve water of beneficial monsoon this year.

I met the Rural Development Minister Ch. Mohd Ramzan on his visit to Sunder Bani on 28.04.2000 for construction of Check Bund/Dam near my home who gave on spot instructions to then Director Rural Development and District Development Commissioner Rajouri & BDO Sunder Bani but no heed was paid to the orders of the Minister. Again I requested the Minister of State Rural Development Mr. Garu Ram at Sunder Bani on his maiden visit on 08.04.2003 & he instructed Assistant Commissioner Development Rajouri for the same & he gave assurance for the construction in 2-3 months but on repeated contacts made to him he has shown his helplessness because of non-availability of funds. I have approached the District Dev. Commissioner & concerned Block Dev. Officers from time to time but in vain.

With growing population & ever increasing water needs of house-hold agriculture & industry, we may face a major water trouble in near future in case of a failed monsoon. The policy planner should undertake a comprehensive decision to earmark a fixed portion of budget to be used for rain water harvesting by departments of agriculture, horticulture, Animal, Sheep Husbandry, Rural Development, Forests and Gram Panchayats. This integrated approach shall go a long way to meet out the future needs of water of humans, animals and plants.

Yours etc...
Dr. Ram Chander Sharma
R/o Village: Siot
Tehsil : Sunder Bani

Release COLA

Sir,

For the last eight months the Public Sector Employees of J&K State are waiting anxiously for the healing touch policy of the coalition Government, though it does not come in the ambit of charity or gift. In every passing day verbal assurance are being given to every delegation of the PSUs who meet the authorities who are at the helm of affairs, but nothing is being done in practical to ameliorate their genuine grievances. Justice has abnormally been delayed, as due COLA for the year 1998, 1999 and 2002 has not been released, inspite of the fact that there are clear guide lines in the Govt; order No: 19 GR of 1980 dtd: 26-4-1980 in respect of release of COLA. Due to non-release of due COLA every worker is losing from Rs. 1500/- to 3000/- per month. Due to price hike the PSU employees are suffering badly.

Since the present Government had made promises during elections to redress the genuine grievances of every dejected lot on priority basis, as such it is obligatory on the part of the coalition Government to take immediate measures to redress the grievances of PSU employees, so that they may heave a sigh of relief.

Yours etc...
Ashok Sen
Bhawaninagar
Janipur