*None of over 900 encroachers responds to notices
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 9: In a testimony of indirect support to the encroachers on both the banks of River Tawi, the Government is soft-paddling on removal of encroachments even after identifying the same as per the directions of the State High Court. In this way, the administration has adopted contemptuous attitude towards the orders of the highest court of the State.
Last year, the Division Bench of the State High Court, in a Public Interest Litigation, had issued directions for mapping of entire land along the banks of River Tawi from Nagrota to Phallian Mandal to identify all the constructions falling on either side of River Tawi from its fringe line, preparation of lists of such constructions and then removal of illegal structures whether private or Government.
The Division Bench issued these directions after it found all the concerned Government agencies unaware of the extent of encroachments along the river despite the situation having assumed alarming proportion.
In compliance to these directions, the Divisional Commissioner constituted a multi-department committee with Deputy Commissioner Jammu as its convener and Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Vice-Chairman Jammu Development Authority, Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Regional Director, Survey and Land Records Jammu, Divisional Forest Officer, Jammu and Assistant Commissioner Nazool Jammu as members of the committee.
The multi-department committee immediately approached National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad for satellite imageries of entire area along the banks of River Tawi from Nagrota to Phallian Mandal. However, the Agency expressed inability to give imageries within shortest possible time on the ground that Indian satellites have limited frequency.
Thereafter, the multi-department committee examined the Google maps of past 10 years (2006-2017) and zeroed-in on the encroachments on both banks of River Tawi on 30 kilometer stretch from Nagrota to Phallian Mandal. After minute examination of such maps as well as numerous field visits the committee identified more than 900 encroachments including some by the Government agencies like Jammu Municipal Corporation, Jammu Development Authority and Department of PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control.
It was also observed by the committee that due to these encroachments the drainage area of River Tawi has reduced considerably at numerous locations, which is considered as major reason behind flooding of low lying areas during rainy seasons.
Thereafter, the administration issued eviction notices to all the identified encroachers under land laws. However, none of the encroachers/occupants of illegal structures responded to the notices till date, sources told EXCELSIOR. This is notwithstanding the fact that Division Bench of the High Court had fixed time-frame for removal of encroachments.
“Despite being aware of the fact that encroachers have not been responding to the notices, the administration has not started eviction process although it is enjoying all the support of the highest court of the State in this regard”, sources said, adding “this is the clear indication that administration is indirectly extending support to the encroachers and doesn’t want High Court directions to be implemented in letter and spirit”.
When the PIL was last listed before the Division Bench, the Judges had expressed serious concern over non-compliance to directives by the administration and had directed for personal appearance of the Divisional Commissioner, sources said, adding “as contemptuous attitude has been adopted towards the directions of the High Court, the administration is likely to receive rap on the knuckles when the Public Interest Litigation is going to be listed in the coming days”.
According to the sources, the encroachments on the banks of River Tawi fall in the tehsils of Nagrota, Jammu, Jammu West, Jammu South and Bahu. “The possibility of political pressure in preventing administration from initiating action cannot be ruled out”, they said, adding “unless High Court takes the concerned officers to task, action on ground in unlikely to begin and concern flagged in the Public Interest Litigation will remain unaddressed”.
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