The High Court’s stern rap on the authorities over the nine-year delay in completing the Tawi barrage and associated flood-protection measures is not just a judicial reprimand-it is a reminder of how dangerously complacent authorities can become when critical public safety issues get entangled in procedural loops. For the villagers of Barjala and Khandwal, the slow churn of files between departments has translated into nearly a decade of anxiety, erosion of land, and a constant fear that the next monsoon could bring devastation. What makes this delay even more alarming is the admission from the Chief Engineer of the Jal Shakti Department. When the highest technical authority in the region acknowledges imminent danger, the absence of urgent remedial action becomes indefensible.
The Tawi barrage-projected as a transformative infrastructure piece for Jammu-has been repeatedly showcased as nearing completion, yet it remains mired in revisions, re-engagement of foreign consultants, and pending clearances from the Central Water Commission. Even today, there is no clarity on when it will be fully operationalised. While the barrage may, eventually, help regulate the waters of Nikki Tawi and Baddi Tawi, it cannot-and must not-be considered the sole defence until all administrative and technical objections are resolved and construction is complete. With the CWC appraisal still pending and subsequent approval from the Union Ministry yet to be secured, the timeline is anything but certain. That uncertainty cannot be allowed to dictate the safety of vulnerable populations.
This is precisely where the Government must recalibrate its approach. Waiting for the barrage to resolve the region’s chronic flood threat is no longer a viable strategy. Intermediate, alternative, and immediate protective measures must be explored and implemented without delay-strengthening embankments, undertaking river channelisation, installing temporary flood barriers, updating early warning systems, and executing localised protection works for critical structures. These are standard flood-mitigation steps that do not require the prolonged approvals associated with mega-projects. The HC’s intervention must serve as a wake-up call. The PIL is not an adversarial challenge to Government authority; it is a plea for safety from citizens whose lives and livelihoods are literally on the edge. It must be taken in the right spirit-as a reminder of the Government’s constitutional and moral responsibility to safeguard its people.
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