Paucity of funds trigger crisis in Ward 74
MUNICIPAL WARD UPDATE
Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Nov 11: While the tenure of elected Urban Local Body of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) is nearing completion as more than four years of its mandatory five years are over, yet most of the expected developments are still away from the sight and shockingly water supply at present is made after 5-6 days or even more in Ward number 74.
Narrating the sorry state of affairs in the Ward, Sobat Ali, elected JMC Councillor from there informed that as the Ward is a big and newly created one, it needs special care and more facilities to develop it at par with established Wards of the City.
“But the reality is that, this Ward is worst as far as cleanliness is concerned because against a minimum requirement of 100 Safai Karamcharis, the Ward has been given only 25,” he informed during an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior.
Sobat Ali, who won JMC elections as an Independent candidate but later on joined the newly floated Democratic Azad Party, said his Ward includes the areas of Sainik Colony Extension, Chowadi, Deleny Mohalla, War Widow Colony, Sunjwan, Gujjar Colony, Haji Colony and Bhatindi.
“While no work of sewerage has been done in my Ward there are three Nallahs—at Jalalabad, Bhatindi and Barmini—which cause havoc every year in rainy season when gushing water from these flooded big drains enters adjoining houses inflicting damages,” he said adding that the authorities have so far failed to correct these Nallahs so that the damage they cause can be prevented.
Ali informed that the silt taken out from the drains during their cleansing is not timely removed and it remains there for days together and spreads on the roads with the movement of vehicles and again enters the drains.
“Only 35 percent of drains in the Ward have been repaired due to paucity of funds while work on lanes is about 90 per cent done and the blacktopping work has also been 90 percent done in the Ward,” he said.
“Though maximum of the Ward has been covered by the street lights but about 50 per cent of these installed lights are now non-functional due to some technical snag and the company concerned mandated to rectify the snag pays no heed to repair these lights,” Ali claimed.
“In the absence of proper street lights, cases of theft have increased in the Ward and the concerned authorities should install CCTV cams to check such activities,” he maintained adding that the menace of addiction is also very much prevalent in the Ward with peddlers and addicts moving freely and openly.
“Police should take a cognizance of this to save the youth from falling prey to the addiction,” the Councillor said.
On water crisis, he informed that some areas in the Ward are even without pipes while at others people are forced to bring water through tankers after paying hefty amount as the water supply is made after 5-7 days or even more.
“Almost all the people of my Ward are now vaccinated for COVID-19 and almost all have made their Ayushman Cards,” the JMC Councillor informed adding that camps are still being organized in the Ward for Voter, Aadhar and Ayushman Cards for the leftover people.
“There is issue of regularization of colonies at some areas in my Ward while only a few people have got money under Housing For All scheme and many poor and deserving people were left,” Ali continued.
He said that fogging is also being done in the Ward to fight dengue.
“There are five graveyards and one cremation ground in my Ward which are not properly developed due to the paucity of funds,” the JMC Councillor said adding that there are also six ponds in the Ward and one park which falls in Sainik Colony area of the Ward and all these are not developed due to apathy of JMC officials and paucity of funds.
Ali informed that the Ward has no playground and no public toilet.
“While the new provision of pensions to widows, old age people and physically challenged people belonging exclusively to Below Poverty Line is creating problems for many deserving people, the unemployment problem in the Ward is also a matter of concern,” he claimed.
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