Mafia putting State exchequer to heavy loss
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Aug 29: Resentment is brewing among the people across Jammu region for increasing mismanagement and wrong planning which according to them led to over flooding of drainage Nallahs and Khads in entire Jammu province creating a havoc and damaging properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees.
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The people are wary of the administration for its mismanagement and stoic silence over encroachments of natural water bodies including Khads, Nallahs, streams and rivers which in spate changed their normal course during recent floods and damage the residential houses as well as agriculture land on their embankments.
People say flood fury coupled with encroachment of water bodies and illegal mining in rivers and Khads aggravated the situation resulting in present chaos across the Jammu region, especially in the districts of Jammu, Samba, Kathua and Udhampur where the flash floods caused unprecedented damage.
Sources said that all the natural water bodies including old ponds, Khads, Nallahs and rivers have been mostly encroached and authorities over decades together failed to take cognisance of the same with the result the floods and heavy rains created havoc in this region especially in low lying areas.
Sources said that the main reason for the collapse of Sahar Khad bridge in Kathua three days back is the illegal mining in river bed near the bridge disrupting vehicular traffic on Jammu -Pathankot National Highway and also causing a huge loss to State exchequer. Sources said same has been the reason for damage to Tarnah bridge on Jammu -Pathankot NH last year and despite the repeated warnings by the people who apprehended that illegal mining near bridges can result in their total damage and heavy loss to public exchequer, the concerned authorities acted as a mute spectator.
Sources said the Devika bridge at Vijaypur which too suffered a damage was due to illegal mining in the area.
Prem Nath Dogra, a senior BJP leader from Kathua said that illegal mining has been main cause of rivers causing huge damage to public property when in spate during floods. He warned that Keriyan -Gandyal bridge over river Ravi in Kathua town is also facing a threat due to illegal mining near its abetments.
He said the company which has constructed this super structure has already warned the Government about the same.
He said though there is no lease of mining in various areas of Ravi river still illegal mining continues round the clock and there is also no check on illegal crushers in the area. Moreover, some of the crusher holders have illegally grabbed about 30 to 40 kanals of land. The lease holders even do not excavate material from the slots allotted to them but from different parts of the river under the very nose of the Mining Department.
Raghunandan Singh Babloo, Vice Chairman, DDC Kathua demanded strict action against the illegal mining and warned that Kathua people are launching a movement against the same as well as illegal encroachments on Nullahs and Khads to save the people from any catastrophe in future.
Babloo said that illegal mining material is smuggled to neighbouring States of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and there is no check on the same as daily hundreds of dumpers loaded with mining material are transported to neighbouring States under the very nose of authorities.
Prem Nath Dogra said despite National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) objection on mining in some areas of Ravi and Ujh rivers, the same goes unabated and the mining mafia have constructed a Kaccha road for smuggling the material to Punjab.
The mining mafia has created such a havoc that the water level in Keriyan Gandyal has depleted to 200 feet down and people in this belt are facing serious water crisis. Even a stone bund has been excavated by mafia for using it as mining material posing threat to adjoining villages, he added.
The same is position in Sahar Khad where three villages Kumbri, Khatera and Logate faced the flood fury after the mining mafia and some influential people converted the two branches of Sahar Khad into one river which in spate damaged agriculture land in the villages. The other villages of Sherpur, Budala, Chakdraba submerged in flood waters. The dried up portion of river was converted into residential area, said Madan Lal a social activist.
Jai Dev Singh, president Kisan Kalyan Sangh said that his organisation is also launching a movement to free water bodies from encroachments and stopping of illegal mining from rivers and Khads to save mankind from future threat. He said if no lesson is learnt from nature’s furry the mankind will perish some day. “Besides we have launched a plantation drive in the area by planting over 1100 plants in last week to protect the land from erosion”.
Congress leader from Samba and former Councillor, Babal Gupta said the illegal mining is going unabated in Devika and Basantar rivers too and posing a grave threat. The damage caused to Devika bridge near AIIMS is also due to illegal mining, he added.
Expressing his concern over the heavy loss suffered by people in Tuesday’s floods in low lying areas of Jammu, Inder Krishan Raina a social activist said the Jammu’s natural geography with a slope from the old city to the canal was previously having a natural drainage system through various nullahs which were accommodating flash floods.
Unfortunately the Smart City Project has led to the construction of these nullahs into narrow concrete drains, rendering them ineffective in handling flash floods.
Citing example of two Nullahs originating from the uphills of Roop Nagar and Bantalab, which have been severely impacted, their alteration has exacerbated the flooding issue, putting the local residents at great risk.
Dr G K Gupta, a retired Scientist and an author said even JDA constructed a nullah in Roop Nagar to Muthi by squeezing it and developing a big park on its bank. But the plan proved a total failure as Tuesday’s flood furry inundated this area causing huge damage.
Same is the case at Barnai where the catchment and drainage area of the old pond had been encroached and the rain water had no outlet when in spate with the result it damaged adjoining houses, roads, lanes and agriculture land, he added.
Pawan Khajuria, a senior leader from Udhampur said that water level increases in every Monsoon but due to no proper sewerage system in Udhampur, the people suffered heavy damage during the floods. He said in Sari area near Railway track 400 shops as well as many residential houses submerged yesterday in flood water and roads and lanes were damaged.
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