The directive from the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court ordering stringent action against encroachments in Jammu City is not just welcome but long overdue. For far too long, the very soul of Jammu has been suffocating under the weight of unregulated urban sprawl, political complacency, and institutional indifference. The city’s historic old quarters – once a symbol of organised civic life and bustling commercial vitality – have become chaotic pockets of illegal occupation and a vehicular nightmare. That this alarming state of affairs has flourished in the very vicinity of the Civil Secretariat, Chief Minister’s residence, IGP Jammu Zone Office, Deputy Commissioner’s office, JMC Commissioner’s office, and the SSP Jammu’s office is not merely ironic – it is a damning indictment of governance. How did we reach a stage where roads like Raj Tilak Road, City Chowk, Residency Road, Rajinder Bazar, Shahidi Chowk, Hari Market, and Purani Mandi are practically impassable – narrowed by as much as 10 feet due to encroachments – while the official machinery remained mute and motionless?
The truth is as uncomfortable as it is undeniable: this scale of brazen encroachment could never have flourished without the silent endorsement – or active patronage – of elements within the political class, police, and the Jammu Municipal Corporation. In many areas, the rot is visible right outside Government offices. Hari Market, for instance, lies barely 100 metres from the JMC Commissioner’s office yet remains one of the most egregiously encroached zones. Every shopfront overflows into the street, every footpath has been claimed by private enterprise, and the very concept of pedestrian mobility has been trampled upon.
While the court has directed the JMC to conduct awareness campaigns and enforce the Municipal Corporation Act provisions, including the sealing of repeat violators’ establishments, the citizens of Jammu know the drill all too well. Crackdowns happen selectively, often as a performance before the VVIP movement or religious processions, only to lapse into the status quo. The handcarts disappear for a day or two, the roadside vendors are cleared momentarily – and then the entire ecosystem creeps back in with a vengeance.
What is most tragic is that the people suffering the most from this mess are not the encroachers – most of whom do not even reside in these areas – but the residents who are stuck amidst constant congestion, shrinking public spaces, and a total collapse of emergency access. If a fire were to break out, or an ambulance required passage, there would be little hope. Footpaths are extinct. Roads, originally wide enough to host city buses and ration trucks, are now reduced to bottlenecks – a sad, silent commentary on administrative inertia.
The excuse of “lack of security” for anti-encroachment staff doesn’t hold water anymore. The High Court has rightly stepped in, directing the SSP Jammu to provide full protection to enforcement teams. With security assured and judicial backing in place, JMC now has to act. In fact, it must issue immediate notifications to all market associations warning of impending action. Major demolitions are not only expected but absolutely necessary to reclaim Jammu’s civic landscape. A monthly progress report should be mandated. A joint field visit by the Divisional Commissioner, DC, JMC Commissioner, and SSP – complete with videography – should be conducted across the most affected zones. This not only documents violations but also sends a strong message to encroachers that their days are numbered. Moreover, technology and public participation should be harnessed. Social media can be used to crowdsource encroachment data directly from citizens. An open digital platform for uploading pictures, marking problem areas, and submitting grievances can revolutionise accountability and give a voice to those worst affected.
The ball has been set rolling by the High Court, but the responsibility for keeping it in motion lies squarely with the JMC and the district administration. Jammu cannot aspire to be a Smart City while choking on its own negligence. What is at stake is more than just urban order – it is the safety, dignity, and quality of life of Jammu’s citizens.
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