Ward 19: No solution to water logging, floods in rainy season
Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 20: Water logging and flooded Nallahs remain the problem every year in rainy season in many areas of Ward Number 19 of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) wherein the water enters residential houses, shops and other business establishments causing massive damage.
This was revealed by JMC Councillor, Amit Gupta who was elected for the first time as an Independent Councillor from the Ward.
He further informed that there are 11 Nallahs in the Ward most of which turn violent during rainy season causing massive damages following water loggings at Bikram Chowk to University Road and at Dogra Chowk and floods in Vinayak Bazar, Chand Nagar, Rajinder Nagar near Canal Road and at many other places.
In an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior, Gupta said that the concerned departments did nothing to correct these deep drains so that these floods every year can be prevented.
He informed that his Ward includes areas of Press Club, Amar Singh Club, Jammu Club, Jewel area, Chand Nagar, Rani Mandir, Sant Market, Vinayak Bazar, Qasim Nagar, Prem Nagar, B.C Road, Bus Stand, Chopra Ahata, Canal Road, Rajinder Nagar, New Company Bagh, Bikram Chowk, Ware House, Rajiv Colony, MAM Stadium, G.G.M Science College and Commerce College.
The Councillor said that repair of these Nallahs has not been done for the last 40 years and life of these deep drains is also over now resulting which areas adjoining to these big drains are sinking.
He claimed that his Ward got only 350 Street Lights but the JMC claims that they have installed 800 lights in the Ward.
“They are counting the remaining lights from those which they (JMC) installed from Hotel Asia to Amarnath Base Camp at Bhagwati Nagar during the annual pilgrimage,” he said adding that of the installed lights 80 are not functioning and the concerned agency responsible for repairing these lights, pay no heed to the repeated requests in this regard.
It is pertinent to mention here that the elected body of JMC responsible for developments in JMC Wards has completed over four years of its mandatory tenure of five but still many development works are miles away from completion and in some cases such works have not even yet started.
The JMC Councillor also said that there are only 80 Safai Karamcharis in his Ward and 30 more are required as it is a big Ward with many business establishments including hotels which fetch maximum revenue to the government but have minimum facilities.
“As I am an Independent Councillor, I suffered political discrimination due to which there remained funds crisis in my Ward because of which many developmental works were not done here,” he maintained adding that construction and repair work of lanes and drains is about 60 per cent complete in the Ward while the blacktopping is 70 per cent done in more than four years of the elected Urban Local Body assuming the office.
“There is only one park-Hari Singh Park in my Ward and another park there is of Tourism Department near Tawi River and the parking area in the Ward is at General Bus Stand which was constructed by Jammu Development Authority,” the Councillor said.
He also said that the sewerage project has totally failed in his Ward as its manholes gets blocked and overflows at many places causing litter to spread on roads and streets leaving problems for the passersby and locals.
“Also the concerned agency involved in laying sewerage network broke the roads and lanes and failed to properly repair them due to which the public is facing problems,” Gupta said adding that he wrote many times to the concerned officers in this regard but nothing fruitful emerged.
He said that technology should be involved to ensure proper cleanliness in the Ward.
“The Ward also has water and power supply related problems while the Smart Meters have not been installed in the Ward till date,” the JMC Councillor said.
He informed that door-to-door moving autos to collect the household garbage are doing a good job in maintaining cleanliness in the area.
“The problems due to stray dogs are very much in the Ward as these canines not only spread litter but also make the children and elders panic,” Gupta claimed.
He said that a new Community Hall has been recently made at Rajiv Colony in the Ward.
“There were some cases of thefts of iron gratings from the drains in the Ward while many drug addicts and peddlers are also active here for which the police should take a cognizance,” he said.
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