On spot assessment of water body, surroundings conducted
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 29: After State Pollution Control Board, the Jammu and Kashmir State Water Resources Regulatory Authority (SWRRA) also conducted on spot assessment of holy Devika river at Purmandal and after seeing the dilapidated condition of the water body as well as the state of other amenities, issued directions for appropriate corrective measures on immediate basis.
The Authority Chairperson, Pramod Jain, accompanied by Member Ravi Magotra; Vinod Gupta, Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control, Jammu and his staff took on the spot assessment of the extent of damage to the Devika river and discussed at length the deteriorating condition of the water body because of prevailing pollution there.
The SWRRA team, which walked in the Devika river about half a kilometer downstream and about the same distance upstream from the centre point-the Purmandal Devsthan, was aghast to see heaps of garbage, litter, burnt wood logs and the sewer from the houses, behind and around the temple complex, flowing directly into the water body. Even as a minor Sewage Treatment Plant has been sanctioned to check the untreated sewer flowing directly into the water body, the same is unlikely to come up in the near future.
The visiting team observed that inspite of existence of crematoria at three places in Purmandal area, people from one particular community were still performing ‘Dah-Sanskar’ ( cremation of dead bodies) in the Devika just opposite the main Devsthan temple leading to pollution and contamination of the water body, besides bringing a bad look to the temple complex.
The Authority was told by the locals that there were about 108 Bowlies (natural water streams) in the area, which remained neglected by the concerned Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority (SMDA) and as a result, majority of them have become defunct.
As per the tour note of the Authority, the river bed is being used as a road, as a cremation ground, as a dumping site and there being unregulated and haphazard construction on both sides. “The river bed is a classic example of pollution and lack of sanitation. The quality of water has gone down (both Biological Oxygen Demand- BOD and Chemical Oxygen Demand- COD),” says the tour note adding that Devika river has been subjected to excessive sand mining, thereby considerably lowering the original level of the river bed.
Besides, the Authority also observed that the beautiful ‘Sarais’ and ‘Havelis’, got constructed by erstwhile Maharajas for the stay of pilgrims there, were all in dilapidated condition. The locals informed the visiting team that R&B Department was earlier maintaining these buildings but since the transfer of the area to SMDA, these have remained totally uncared for.
After seeing the condition of water body and the state of other amenities, the visiting team interacted with the local officials, Panchayat members, Mahant of the Dev-sthan, elders and youth of the area.
On the basis of it’s on the spot observations and feedback from the locals , the Water Regulatory Authority issued a number of directions and recommendations for implementation in the interest of the water body, the pilgrims and inhabitants of the area.
The Authority has directed that the concrete steps should be taken by the Irrigation & Flood Control Department to raise the water table by way of constructing 2-3 check walls at appropriate places in the Devika river, for which funding was no issue, as given out by the Chief Engineer I&FC Department, Jammu.
Directing that Geology and Mining Department in cooperation with the Police and team of Flood Control Department should check illegal mining of sand from the river bed for which a committee needs to be framed at District Administration level, the Authority also instructed that Deputy Commissioner Samba should take necessary steps for initiating special cleanliness drive through NGOs and volunteers under the aegis of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan.
Further, the Authority said that SMDA should take necessary action for maintaining cleanliness of bathing ghats and proper collections and disposal of garbage away from the temple complex while the already sanctioned minor STP should be put in position post haste now to save the holy water from sewers flowing directly into it.
The SWRRA also directed the SMDA to construct Ghats and walk-ways on the right bank of water body in a stretch of about half a kilometer downstream the Devsthan temple besides ensuring proper maintenance of Sarais and Havelis on a regular basis without causing any further delay in the matter.
The Authority has suggested to the District/Divisional administration and other concerned for census of Bowlies and buildings (safe and unsafe), with the involvement of Dharmarth Trust and stressed that there was a dire need for relocation of the toilet blocks, which are at present a nuisance. At the time of melas, mobile toilet units need to be deployed by the District administration/SMDA, the Authority further said.
Besides these directions, the Authority has also advised the locals and Panchayat Members to take volunteer measures for removal of garbage dumps, diversion of drains and sewers away from Devika river and not to allow cremation of dead bodies on the river bed in front of the temple. In this regard, Sarpanch Purmandal Panchayat will coordinate and build up necessary consensus through a meeting of all the communities and the stake-holders.
Observing that the Purmandal temple does not have an approach road other than the river-bed, which is being used as a path, the Authority has said that the footbridge awaiting minor completion should be thrown open to public at the earliest by the SMDA.
Copies of these instructions by SWRRA were forwarded today to the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu; Deputy Commissioner, Samba; Chief Engineer, I&FC Department, Jammu; Director Urban Local Bodies, Jammu; CEO, Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority, District Mining Officer, G&M Department, Samba and others for the necessary action.
It may be recalled that the State Pollution Control Board had analyzed the water quality of Devika river at Purmandal last month and found that the same was deteriorating at an alarming rate because of varied reasons such as direct discharge of wastes from nearby establishments, encroachment of river, cremations at undesignated locations within the river bed particularly in front of gate of main temple and extraction of minor minerals etc.
The State Council of NGT has also taken suo-moto cognizance of the Daily Excelsior editorial in this regard and called for status report from DC Samba on the implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules in Purmandal.
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