Jammu city is perched on the slopes of a hill. A city in such a topographical location has its merits as well as demerits. The hillock, the southern extension of Trikuta hills, was the last locale where a town could be built. Beyond its southern slopes called, Gumat ran Tawi, a big river made bigger by summer rains. The town of Jammu in olden times was well protected by Tawi as it almost circumvents the entire southern tail-end of Trikuta hills. At the same time, these hills provided vast and dense green cover which served as the lungs of the city. However, the negative aspect of this township on the top of a hillock are the nullahs that carry normal and rain water down the slopes and disgorge into the Tawi that flows down. There was a time when the population of Jammu was very thin and these nullahs, thirteen on the right side and two on the left side, did not pose real threat to the environment or the river itself. After all, a river is made up of its tributaries. This is a common phenomenon.
With rapid increase in population, Jammu city gradually became over-crowded. In absence of functional sewerage treatment plant, all the litter of the huge population began to be thrown into the nullahs. Even the nullahs began to be used for the purpose of soakage pits making them polluted and thereby a source of health hazard. Obviously, these fifteen nullahs have become the big source of pollution of Tawi. The plan of artificial lake in Tawi has been scuttled or delayed just because these nullahs carry all the dirt, filth and litter straight to the river. The Housing and Urban Development Department, which ordinarily should take care of this problem, is at a loss to find any viable solution to the problem. At the same time the Urban Environment Engineering Department, too, has been helpless in the matter. It was in the year 2009 that this Department had prepared tentative estimate of Rs 23 crore for diversion of nullahs. But no Detailed Project Report was prepared. It is clear that any estimate which can be considered closer to the expenditures can be made only when there is a DPR. When the matter of building the artificial lake in Tawi came up recently, the Department made revised estimates to the tune of 47 crore rupees. Estimates will go on escalating year after year if there is nothing concrete on the ground.
It is pertinent to recollect that the Parliamentary Committee on Environment had visited Jammu only recently. It was shocked to see the Tawi polluted by these nullahs and had recommended that these should be diverted. The State Government’s concerned departments are so immune to the issue that they have not even cared to requisition the services of an expert who would suggest the technical aspects of diversion of the nullahs. Even in making Detailed Project Report, assistance and consultation of the expert is unavoidable. The question is where will the water and the filth of the diverted nullahs go? Has any expert study been conducted on it? We know that nothing has been done in this case. There is much noise about beautification of the bank of Tawi. This is only a wishful thinking. If the polluted water stinks and if all the garbage of the city is carried by these nullahs to the Tawi, what sense is there in misleading the people by promising that the Government will beautify the banks of the river.
What the Government should do about these filth carrying nullahs is first to appoint a special committee of environmentalists and experts, geologists and engineers to prepare a viable Detailed Project Report. All concerned departments have to be included in this broad-based committee and serious deliberations have to be made. We think that diversion of all the 15 nullahs and their convergence on to one site and then arranging the sewerage management plant that will be really viable would mean many times more amount of expenditure than has been estimated. But near actual estimates can be made only when survey is conducted and a plan is finalized. However, taking into account the financial status of the Government and rather half-heartedness of the Government in addressing this issue, we are afraid that it may be many years or decades before this project will actually start. It is no use raising expectations of the people for a thing that is not going to happen than soon. Who is there in Jammu who does not want that this project should be taken in hand without the loss of a single day? But the old saying is that if ifs were horses beggars would ride. In this background we would suggest the UEED not to go euphoric about the project but try to make steady approach step by step and insist on a DPR. Government’s reluctance can be understood from the fact that the matter did not come up even for cursory consideration during the recent DDB meeting for Jammu district.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel