Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 22: A meeting was held in which all the residents of Canal Road took part to address the arbitrary road alignment being proposed by NHIDCL from Canal Head to Bakshi Nagar bridge. The meeting was chaired by Prem Dewan and members of the Canal Road Welfare Association.
The residents expressed concern over the recent specifications of NH-144A Jammu-Akhnoor Highway which has been amended so as to make it 8 lanes highway—4 lanes elevated and 4 lanes on ground level.
“The expansion of highway as proposed with the elevated portion, besides affecting adversely the beauty of the area would result in major acquisition of private residential areas on the portion where the fly-over is to be ramped up along with the elevated corridor. The major impact would be in the initial 500 meters i.e from Canal Head to Bakshi Nagar bridge where the existing houses and buildings are likely to be damaged and acquisitions of additional private land of more than 10 meters, is likely to take place causing irreversible damage, devolution in valuation of properties and basically rendering these houses inhabitable due to close proximity of the highway to these dwelling units”, the residents said.
“It is also a well settled rule of law, the acquisition of private property is the last resort and the Government has to exercise the option of using its own land. In the instant case, there exists the Government land on left bank of canal in the shape of land owned by RRL, State Government and its organizations. Hence there is no necessity of acquisition of private land on this account”, the residents added.
The residents requested for an immediate intervention, as this issue needs to be sorted out without any delay and the necessary amendment to be done before finalization on this stretch, so as to avoid irreparable damage to private properties.
They also requested the authorities to kindly grant them an opportunity of being heard before undertaking the execution of the proposed project so as to have better understanding of the ground situation.
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