Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 17: The water supply pipes in Ward Number 3 of old Jammu city have not been replaced for the last over 50 years and the people living there are forced to consume contaminated water as these pipes have developed leaks at many places and as these pipes are buried under the earth where also lies the sewerage network pipes, there is a severe threat to public health in the Ward.
Giving more details on this burning issue of public concern, Narotam Sharma, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Councillor from Ward Number 3 informed that tenders were floated for replacing the old and worn-out pipes from the Ward but none of the contractors came forward due to the wrong paying procedure for such works by the authorities concerned.
Narotam, who politically belongs to BJP and is a first time Councillor, in an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior said, his Ward includes the areas of Mast Garh (Upper and Lower), Peer Kho, Purani Mandi, Peer Mitha, Link Road, Dhaki Sarajan and Circular Road.
He also informed that there are many problems in the Ward which are triggered by the wrongly executed work of laying sewerage network in the area wherein the concerned agency broke the roads and lanes but failed to repair them properly especially on the road stretch from Link Road to Peer Mitha where the problem is there for the last two years and repeated requested to the senior officers of the concerned agency yielded no results.
“Dust flies with the movement of vehicles on this road stretch while the sewerage manholes also gets blocked at many places in the Ward creating problems for the locals and traders of the area,” the JMC Councillor maintained adding that another work which could not be done in the Ward so far is development works at Akhara of Peer Kho which was not developed due to shortage of funds.
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 five years tenure but many development works are still miles away from completion and in some cases such works have not even started.
The Councillor said that development work at Aap Shambhu temple on Circular Road with an estimated expenditure of Rs. 30 lakh could not be accomplished as the funds were not available.
“Construction and repair of about 75 per cent of the lanes and drains in my Ward is complete while repair of a Nallah at Peer Kho has been completed with an expenditure of Rs. 3 crore and repair work on Baba Lal Ji Nallah is underway,” he said.
Sharma further said that drainage system from Link Road to Peer Mitha may start within days under Smart City Project while the blacktopping work in the Ward is 100 per cent complete.
“Park at Peer Kho is properly developed with open air gym, lights and seating arrangement while the Ward has no playground, no public toilet and no community hall,” he claimed.
On parking problem in the Ward, the Councillor informed that there was a project to make parking place at Peer Kho but the same could not be started due to paucity of funds and official red tape existing in government offices.
He further said that cleanliness in the Ward is quite good and there are also a good number of Safai Karamcharis for maintaining cleanliness in the Ward.
“Fogging has been delayed in my Ward while the water problem remains there in summer months,” the JMC Councillor continued adding: “A tube-well at Peer Kho has been sanctioned and it might be completed by the summers of next year which will then solve the water problem of the area.”
He said that smart meters have not been yet installed in the Ward while the autos moving from door-to-door to collect the garbage are doing a good job while wheel barrows have also been pressed into service for streets where autos can’t reach to collect the garbage.
Narotam Sharma also informed that problems due to stray dog is also there in the Ward as these animals spread litter and panic children and aged persons.
He claimed that Ayushman Cards have been made by maximum of the residents of his Ward while all eligible voters have made their Voter Cards and most of the people in the Ward have Aadhar Cards, and all the eligible people were administered COVID-19 vaccination and almost all have made domicile certificates.
“The Ward has a good system of transportation while only a few cases of iron grating thefts from the drains were reported and the Ward also has many addicts and peddlers for which the police should take cognizance,” Sharma said.
He claimed that he has helped many elders, widows and physically challenged persons to get pension but the presently introduced rule of these pensions exclusively to those belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) is creating problems for many deserving people while it is also very tough these days to make BPL certificates.
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