Though at an unaffordable cost of many hues, lakes, rivers, ponds, canals etc have comparatively clear , clean and quality oriented water these days as a result of the month long lockdown . Yamuna in Delhi, just within ten days of the lockdown , looked cleaner as never seen before in decades. Viruses affect human bodies but the virus of pollution like pollutants , dumping waste material, garbage etc in rivers and water bodies make them dead. The same is the case of Holy Ganga which is looking amazingly cleaner these days. When we look at the majestic Ranbir Canal flowing through Jammu with its muddied water, polythene bags , waste material, plastics etc clearly visible even on its surface not to speak of on its two banks in heaps : when we see the fate of famous lakes in Jammu and Kashmir and the level of their polluted waters, dumping of waste material, flowing and discharge of pollutants and drains in them , their area shrinkages, encroachments etc , one feels really disgusted as to how we violate, defile and pollute these natural sources and courses and make our future and in particular, that of the future generations, quite bleak , austere and dreary. Can we afford to violate and seriously imperil the second most important thing after air for life to sustain on this earth- the water?
Did the wanton ravaging of our water bodies not require to be stopped and discouraged all these years very resolutely? Did the successive Governments lack administrative and political will and suffer from total indifference towards their moral duty to save these water bodies all these years perhaps to wait only for the worst to happen ? When we had an effective Act enacted already as back as in 2007 to prohibit throwing of non- biodegradable material into water bodies, why the same was not used even sparingly not to speak of very effectively to prevent the colossal damage to these natural boons? And, again the importance of water hardly needs to be underlined? How much do we require it from morning to evening , even during nights, in institutions, hospitals, factories, industries, offices, running trains etc and in agriculture , floriculture, horticulture etc while day in and day out, its sources are getting depleted and exhausted at an alarming rate and the pinch of its shortage compared to the demand is increasingly felt.
Better late than never, Union Ministry of Home Affairs has carried out required amendments in few sections of the Act under reference , section 9 of which is pertinent in the entire gamut of making our water bodies free from various pollutants like bio-degradable garbage or construction debris and other waste material which could damage the lakes, rivers or wetland or other water channels , water course or source . The advantages – explicit and implicit of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) 2020, have started having their impact as several laws either through amendments in the existing ones or otherwise desperately needed in various areas and fields, have started progressively been implemented and now under the amended Act , all rivers, tributaries, nullahs, streams, canals , khads , flood channels , reservoirs, etc are covered. Violators and offenders under the provisions of the Act shall have to face a jail term up to 2 months and fine up to Rs.50000 or both depending upon the nature of offence etc. It is hoped that implementation of the Act shall be scrupulously ensured to let a change be seen as desired.
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