Rabinder Shekher
Katra is the base camp town for the most revered and world renowned shakti Peeth of Maa Vaishno Devi Jee. Every year more than 80 lakhs of devotees visit Vaishno Devi temple to pay their obeisance and seek Mata’s blessings.
Katra was formed by cutting areas of two revenue villages namely Arli Hansali and Kun Drorian and was a beautiful hamlet at the foot of Trikuta Hills of Shivalik Ranges. The houses were of mud and the residents were simple and mostly Brahmins by caste. Rajputs and Sanmotras used to live near by villages and local residents have shops which used to be operational for three four months only as the yatra used to be for a small period only. Some residents were also in Govt service but used to be staying at the place of posting. As of 2011 Indian Census, Katra had a total population of 9,008, of which 5,106 were males and 3,902 were females. The population within the age group of 0 to 6 years was 1,012. In Katra Municipal Committee, Female Sex Ratio is of 764 against state average of 889. Moreover, Child Sex Ratio in Katra is around 814 compared to Jammu and Kashmir state average of 862. Literacy rate of Katra city is 85.56 % higher than state average of 67.16 %. In Katra, Male literacy is around 89.16 % while female literacy rate is 80.80%.Current estimated population of Katra Municipal Committee in 2025 is approximately 12,900.
In 1986, the management of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine was taken over by an autonomous board named SMVDSB. Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board was set up in August 1986 under the provisions of The Jammu and Kashmir Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Act, 1988. The main objective of the Act was to provide for better management and governance of the Holy Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji and its endowments including the appurtenant lands and buildings. Under the provisions of the Act, the Administration, management and governance of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and the Shrine Funds shall vest with a Board comprising Chairman and not more than ten members.
The Governor of the state of Jammu and Kashmir (Now Lt Governor after formation of J&K UT) by virtue of his office is the ex-officio Chairman of the Board. He nominates nine members in the Board at the policy making level. The Board discharge its duty through a Chief Executive Officer who is assisted by the Addl. Chief Executive Officer, Joint CEOs and Assistant CEO’s and various Area Heads and Functional Heads.
Ever since the takeover the Shrine Board has continuously strived hard to provide all possible facilities to the devotees visiting the Holy Cave Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji. With the result, the yatra to the Holy Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji has increased tremendously. This has been possible due to the blessings of the Divine and the all-round efforts of the Shrine Board. Today the Shrine Board is recognized as one of the major services providing organization in the country. The efforts of the Shrine Board have been to make the Yatra to the Holy Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji a smooth and memorable experience. Efforts are still afoot to further improve the facilities for the Yatries and provide them state of the art facilities in every sphere. Every year the facilities are enhanced and the yatris are experiencing divine blessing. Shrine board and its officers and staff leave no stone unturned to provide all facilities to the yatris and the board is continuously adding one golden page to its journey which started in 1986. Tremendous improvement in infrastructure has been made. Management of yatra is exemplary. Board has already received a number of awards and medals for cleanliness and management of water resources.
With the increase in yatra, Katra also started expanding in length and width. A number of guest houses, stay homes, hotels and shopping establishments started mushrooming fast. The main market changed into beautiful concrete multi-storeyed structures. Big and brand name hotels came up in the town. Katra was also divided into 13 wards and Town Area Committee converted into Katra Municipal Committee. Sub centre Hospital to CHC and Sub Police Station to Police station and even offices of SDM and Adll SP became functional. Higher Secondry School was existing prior to establishment of SMVDSB. Sub Treasury and almost all banks today are operational in Katra. Cinema Hall converted into PVR and shopping malls are existing today.
Yes, Katra is now a vibrant, living city and business hub. Auto Riksha, E Riksha, Cabs, private commercial vehicles and all facilities are available. With the chugging of railway in 2016, the public transport system got an increasing opportunity. Everything is working fine and the Katra does not sleep now.
But what changed exactly during these years? When I ponder on this simple question, the first answer that bubbled in my mind is that I am rarely getting snow clad mountains of Maa Vaishno Devi, I need AC in summer, I see monsoons water dancing on the roads and traffic jams everywhere. Hooting of Horns by Auto Rikshas and Bike riders. When I walk on any road, I don’t find any tree where I could pause my walk. Concrete and concrete everywhere. No lane or bye lane is spared, no plot seems vacant. Even the walls of buildings in lanes are being used for business. No breathing spaces are found. Buildings are standing abutting with no gaps in between them. Unplanned urbanisation with no thought of vulnerability of seismic zone of the area. I donot remember that any new internal road have been constructed or widened by PWD. Even MCK has not widened any lane or sub-lane. The yatra increased from 33 lakhs to more than 80 lakhs per year. Transport increased manifolds and even private vehicles inflow multiplied without increase in connectivity. All lanes and sub lanes are being used by the auto rikshas and hotelier vans. They are using pressure horns there by adding air pollution and making the life of residents a hell.
A big question is still there, Katra has 13 wards and surrounding area is covered by Katra Development Authority, then how the structures are coming up in such discrete manner and in an un urbanized way. One can find structure in an unapproachable area and think if any hazard happens, how the evacuation will be done. Do we really leave it to the luck? Banganga Road and Approach roads to Railway station are probably the last widened or new construction in Katra and rest concrete is by the people. Development is a necessity and to accommodate ever increasing yatra, concrete has to pile up but we must have in mind word “Sustainble”. We cannot avoid concrete but we have to think of breathing lungs for ourselves and for the coming generation. Let we ensure that every building has:
Dedicated Parking (Roads should be free for connectivity)
Septic/Sewerage plant
Water storage and filtration plant
ETP and recycle water system in place
Solar Light provision
Dedicated approach to their structure without encroaching govt infrastructure
Green airy plants in every structure. (One can find that one shopping mall has developed a beautiful landscape at its entrance at railway road, which looks eye soothing. It can be an example for others to emulate)
Govt agencies should also think of plantation. Shrine Board has taken up work of plantation of road divider at approach roads to railway station including its beautification and lights. The work is 50-60% successful but the vacant area needs to be re planted and MCK/KDA can take up the same. It is high time for all to think over the concrete Jungle which has gripped Katra and if no further checks are made, the whole area will definitely be a concrete Jungle.
(The author is Superintending Engineer (Retired) Structural Wing DIQC PWD J&K)
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