Yogender Koul
Today we feel Jammu city is let down on civic norms which was recently assessed on All India basis and relegated to a much lower place compared to other cities of our country.
Although this process started few years back to make our cities smart enough to cater to the growing needs of modernity and keep pace with development going on in rest of cities keeping in view futuristic requirements. These are numerous Central and State sponsored committees to upgrade the existing infrastructure, public health to make our city a smart city for which wide awareness was created among public at large who were optimistic to find themselves to live in a modern city, very shortly.
Comparisons were made with development of Sabarmati in Gujarat and other places across India which developed in recent past.
As the topography of the Jammu City is adequately physically featured for a clean city this could have added aesthetic value to the City of Temples bestowed with continuous blessings of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and enroute to Lord Shivas abode in Kashmir valley and other tourist spots.
Today we find ourselves nowhere in the ladder of overall cleanliness, though public representatives are running our civic body past some time. The claims with regard to the upgrading of the existing city facade and contour besides River Tawi flowing in the middle of city requires proper attention by city dewellers. It looks to be huge deep sand and stony patch dividing city most of the year, thus negating beautification of the city which could have been improved significantly.
It is a fact that the City of Jammu has expanded horizontally with increase in population from all parts of the state due to certain compelling circumstances. Even it has added to the economy of the city, but much remains to be done with proper laid out roads, drains,culverts, developing embankments. The disposal of solid waste material, seasonal rain inundating low lying areas, frequent garbage accumulation at various corners of city . This needs our adequate proper management to be usefully utilized with the available technology, lest these dumping grounds may not become breeding grounds of dangerous mosquitoes which can give rise to numerous diseases in the coming summer season.
We the citizens of the Jammu city require to get sanitized to restore our prestige of clean Temple City which has huge potential of tourism round the year that can add more to our economy and regain grandeur what it had acquired over a period of time.
Apart from Government agencies which are involved in managing city cleanliness, citizens need to come forward to associate ourselves with them as a supplementing force, in achieving the goal of clean Jammu. Our main Ranbir Canal and its tributaries which pass through the city was once attraction for outings. Today we find huge silt, garbage, non degradable material, solid waste of shopkeepers thrown away lying in it. This all defaces and chokes our main respiratory line which could have been beautified with seasonal flowers, laid evergreen tree line, green patches all along path and made it polythene free to make it a recreational place for local children and senior citizens.
The Government alone cannot do it all alone which may have certain limitations. The city of Indore (M.P), how it developed and has carved a name for itself in cleanliness, why can’t we achieve with vast potential and vision. This cleanliness is going to add to our economy by way of eliminating diseases borne out by stagnating water, open drains, garbage dumping sites emitting foul smell in the localities causing huge inconvenience to the local inhabitants and pedestrians.
The public in their respective wards and mohallas could form their respective committees to follow the local municipal urban bodies responsible for its maintenance. The society has to be vibrant and sensitive enough to develop a sense of competitiveness. The cleanest and best one among old and new city areas on quarterly basis to be recognized and rewarded by authorities. This needs precious investment of time and concern by locals to see their area being properly attended to by those responsible. This should not hamper ongoing development activities as widening of roads, removing traffic bottlenecks, encroachments of public land. Creating and identifying additional parking sites to make the mobility easy, especially towards Hospitals, Educational Institutions and other emergency services. Many of the electric transformers are not properly protected, electric / cable wires hanging, leaking water pipes with pot holes not being filled up timely with menace of stray dogs and cattle acts a big hazard especially during night hours.
Litigations by certain individuals for their claims needs to be resolved on main roads, lanes and by lanes by the Municipal Corporation and other Departments concerned for the general public interest. This can have far reaching implications to improve our rank on All India city cleanliness index. The city lanes and by lanes which have grown over and multiplied with the growth in population needs close monitoring for getting it on proper urban planning management. The enforcement of municipal laws to curb the brazen violations of urban municipal laws. Severe penalty to be imposed on all violators which should be exemplary even it may be demolishing the structures .The garbage lifting to be encouraged mechanically during night hours, during day time it often causes traffic snarls creating huge traffic jams along with inconvenience to commuters and pedestrians.
Presently huge sums of money are spent on the urban development of city and to be seen by local mohalla committees along with their corporators irrespective of which political affiliation on need basis priority to improve civic index.
This can be achieved in a shnort time ‘provided’ we rise to the occasion to see our City of Temples in the ladder of cleanliness reaching up to a respectable place. This can have manifold positive results. Above all, we will feel elated in next round of evaluation with combined effort.
(The author is retired IPS Officer)
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