While addressing an official function in Jammu, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha asked people to understand the reality of climate change and asserted that a massive crackdown should be launched to free the water bodies from encroachments. Citing the example of recent unprecedented floods in Jammu region wherein losses have been enormous with more than 4,000 houses damaged, over 3,237 kilometres of roads affected and more than 70 major bridges destroyed, the LG said that both the administration and the citizens should gear up to ensure that water bodies in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir are freed from encroachers and natural paths of the water is cleared. He asserted that the administration and the citizenry should launch a movement to stop rampant encroachments on natural resources and ecologically fragile places.
It goes without saying that the water bodies, both in Kashmir as well as Jammu have been vandalised ruthlessly from decades. In Jammu, constructions have come up on river beds under the very nose of the respective governments. Same has happened in Kashmir where such encroachments are more rampant. Entire residential colonies have surfaced in otherwise wet lands and the respective governments have legalized the same by providing electricity and water connections and laying roads. Even Srinagar Municipality itself has raised huge construction in Doodhganga near Batamaloo.
One wonders why the governments, that be are so insensitive towards water bodies in Jammu and Kashmir. It is not only Jehlum, Tawi and Chenab too are facing the same crisis. The holding capacity of these rivers has depleted though the government claims otherwise. The floods in Jammu region have devastated lives and homes and hearths. Yes, the government may come up with some rehabilitation package but does that ensure that nothing of the sort happens in the future. The way people as well as the government have been chocking the natural outlets of the rivers and streams by unplanned and unscientific constructions, these calamities are bound to occur.
While in Kashmir and Jammu the government should immediately start the process of dredging the rivers and canals besides flood channels, it should take steps to free the water bodies from encroachments, both done by the people and government itself. Instead of indulging in blame game, the government, that be should focus on a longtime flood mitigation plan and take steps to ensure that in future, Jammu and Kashmir is ready to face such natural calamities, undoubtedly aided and abetted by both the government authorities and the public in general.
In this backdrop, the LG’s assertions are timely and the administration as well as people of the UT should rise to the occasion. Climate change is a reality and weather patterns are drastically changing all over. The UT administration and the public need to join heads and hands to ensure that we are ready to face any such challenges in the future. For that, the dredging of main rivers and flood channels should begin in a massive manner and a comprehensive plan should be formulated to free the water bodies from the encroachments and to ensure that no further encroachment takes place.