*Waste under SBA being thrown in water bodies
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 28: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that vital recommendation of 42 Members of Parliament doesn’t carry any importance for the officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Government and they are treating just as a trash the report on the appalling condition of River Tawi. The non-serious attention is notwithstanding the fact that this sacred river is also a source of drinking water for major parts of the winter capital.
Moreover, reports indicate that even the garbage and other waste material being collected as part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by private educational institutions and other organizations is being thrown in water bodies like Tawi River and main canals of Jammu.
The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment and Forests visited Jammu on May 29, 2015 and held interactions with members of the civil society, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and concerned Central and State Government authorities on the problems of Jammu.
In the meeting, the Chairman of the Committee, Ashwani Kumar had remarked that concerned authorities of the State Government have rendered Tawi river, which is also called Surya Putri, a garbage dumping site. Expressing shock over the appalling condition of river particularly from Gujjar Nagar bridge up to 4th bridge, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Panel had explicitly asked the then Commissioner of Jammu Municipal Corporation, who was also attending the meeting, to mobilize resources for cleaning of the river bed.
Mr Kumar had even asked the Municipal Commissioner to prioritize preservation of water resources and whatever number of manpower is required should be engaged without wasting any more time so that garbage littered on the banks of the river was removed. Moreover, adequate steps should be taken to ensure that garbage is not thrown in Tawi in future and whosoever does so should be taken to task under law.
However, the directions of the Parliamentary Panel were not taken seriously and polluting of river Tawi by throwing garbage and other waste material continued unabated. In the report tabled in both the Houses of the Parliament by 42 Members Panel on July 23, 2015, thrust was laid on the subject. “The concerned agencies should mobilize the resources for cleaning of river Tawi and immediate action should be taken for the removal of waste on the river bed”, reads the recommendation of the Parliamentary Panel, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
Shockingly, the recommendation of 42 Members of Parliament (10 of Lok Sabha and 31 of Rajya Sabha) failed to receive any attention despite lapse of four months since the visit of the Parliamentary Panel and over two months after the presentation of report in the Parliament and this has clearly established that recommendation of the Parliamentary Panel doesn’t carry any importance for the officers in Jammu and Kashmir.
The result of the non-serious approach can be easily gauged from the condition of the river bed and its banks right from Gujjar Nagar bridge to 4th bridge. The continuous pollution of the river Tawi is notwithstanding the fact that water of this sacred river is also used for providing drinking water (after treatment) to vast population of winter capital city. Moreover, the water of Tawi is also used for bathing and washing clothes by the people residing in its vicinity.
What to talk of general activity of throwing garbage and other waste material in the river, even the waste being collected by various educational institutions and other organizations as part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is being thrown directly into this river as well as Ranbir and Tawi canals. A brief visit to Dhounthly filtration station of Public Health Engineering Department can substantiate reports in this regard as bank as well as river bed just adjoining the filtration plant always remain completely littered with garbage and other waste material.
“This indicates that the concerned authorities are acting as mute spectator to polluting of water bodies while making different parts of Jammu clean under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”, sources said.
When contacted, Commissioner of Jammu Municipal Corporation, Mandeep Kaur said, “huge money is required for this activity and presently we don’t have sufficient funds”, adding “I have heard that a mega project is being formulated at the level of Housing and Urban Development Department in this regard and if the mandate of this project’s implementation is given to Municipal Corporation we will certainly do the same”.
Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control didn’t respond despite repeated calls on his cell-phone as Irrigation and Flood Control Department too have a role to play in this regard besides Pollution Control Board.
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