Ajay Raina
Jammu city is witnessing rapid transformation in its texture. It is expanding horizontally as well as vertically. The city is also witnessing coming up of malls and high rise building. In this backdrop, the old city which was once a centre of attraction for people is losing its historical significance, glory and grandeur. The city know for its old architecture and historical building, business activity, religious places, street vendors, and food joints is slowly being deserted by its resident, shoppers and employees as a number of complex civic problems have cropped up during the course of its growth.
The Old Jammu City is spread on a wide area and is home to various colonies which include Rajinder Bazaar, Khadeka Talaab, Malhotra Mohalla, Kanak Mandi, City Chowk, Link Road, Raj Tilak Road, Pahadi Mohalla, Partap Garh Mohalla, Pakki Dhakki, Chowk Chabutra, Lakhdatta Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, etc. But with the passage of time owing to the drastic upsurge in the population graph resulting in non availability of basic amenities the Old Jammu City is witnessing a silent migration of people for years together.
The Old City markets once famous as business hubs of the Winter Capital, have lost their sheen as customers seldom visit here for marketing due to its narrow and dingy lanes.
Among a multitude of problems one that stands out is that local people have made encroachments of its roads and lanes with the result the city has become so congested that nowadays it is impossible to take a round of the City even on a two wheeler.
The already hellish condition of the City is being compounded by the road side parking by the people. This results in constant traffic jams and pollution.
Apart from this, the old structures constructed years ago have crossed their life span and need immediate renovation but are left abandoned which are hanging swords on the heads of the people living in this portion of the City as they can collapse anytime resulting into any catastrophe.
The City was has rich heritage sites which including Mubarak Mandi, Raja Mandi, Peerkho Temple, Raghunath Temple, Rameshwar Mandir, Khadeka Talab Masjid, Ranbir Higher Secondary School etc were once main attraction of the city and used to attract tourists.
But these sites have now fallen on bad days due to apathetic attitude of the State Government and other authorities responsible for their upkeep and management, with the result the number of tourists visiting there has decreased drastically and it in turn has given a setback to business in the City due to which many shopkeepers have shifted their business establishments from to outskirts while others are also thinking on the same lines.
People while talking about the reasons which brought the “Old Jammu City” to this ugly situation say both the inhabitants of the area as well as Government have failed in their prime duty in preserving and maintaining the glory of Old City.
As both Government and citizens have shrugged off their responsibility this has led the Old Jammu City into constant neglect.
As for Government is concerned its failure in providing basic amenities of life in the area and preserving its monumental beauty has resulted into the mass migration from the City. Various Government Agencies which mainly include Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Custodian Department, Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and Public Works Department (PWD) have not even thought it important to maintain its originality by preserving the heritage centres in shape of temples and other historical monuments. These agencies have also failed to make the area encroachment free owing to which the Old City has now converted into a “Traffic Choke Zone” with almost zero basic facilities.
The people hesitate to visit this portion of the city due to constant traffic jams, lack of parking facilities and prevailing insanitation. The shopkeepers have also reduced the business items and it has remained a domestic market instead of the commercial market as it was earlier where people from the entire State as well as neighboring HP and Punjab used to come for business.
Due to the mass migration of the people, not only the glory of the Old City is coming to an end, but the business community is also thinking of shifting its business elsewhere, said Raman Suri, President, Lakhdatta Bazaar Welfare Association.
The dilapidated condition of roads, heaps of garbage and long snarls of traffic are the main reason of the migration of the people.
Non-availability of parking space is one of the major reasons of migration of both residents and the business community too. Short footfall due to over-crowded roads, are affecting the business community of the Old City which has shrunk to 10-15 per cent.
Priya Sethi, Ex-Corporator and State President, Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha (BJPMM) said that the lack of parking space is the main reason of the people and the business hub migrating from the City.
Had the construction of multi storey parking place near Super bazaar been initiated by the Government such a situation would not have arisen, she added.
“10,000 souls are living in the houses, whose renovation is to be taken care by Custodian Department. Despite having funds, the Custodian Department and the Government is least bothered about the lives of the people living in these houses.
Round the clock cleanliness in the need of the hour in the lanes and drains of the City, but JMC is not taking any steps for the same. People should also own their responsibility and should keep their surrounding areas neat and clean, she added.
Raj Kumar Babber, Provincial President, Swarankar Sangh Jammu Province (SSJP) said that traffic jams, lack of parking space and falling down of century old buildings might be the reasons for the migration of the people and business community from the Jammu old city.
He said that all the roads in the Jammu Old City remain jam packed for maximum time, which has affected the business community badly.
Pollution due to choked drains is one of the main problems in the old City, which not only the local people but also the visitors face, he said adding Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) is responsible for the same. If the use of polythene is banned, then the JMC should strictly adhere to the orders issued in this regard.
Rupesh Masson, resident and businessman from Chowk Chabutra in an interaction termed lack of parking facilities as main reason for the migration of the people and business community from the Jammu Old City.
Now-a-days people think of high class living with sprawling house, large parking space, good education for children, good health care facilities, high and general facilities at door steps, which they can’t get here in Jammu Old City and this might be the reason of their migration to other areas.
Rohit Gupta, a resident of Malhotra Mohalla alleged that the Government’s failure in their prime duty in preserving and maintaining the glory of City has lead to mass migration of the people. He said that settlement in new colonies and other posh areas outside the State for want of better facilities might also be the reason for their migration.
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