Sanjeev K. Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 17: Even though the elected body of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has completed more than four years in office, solution to the Nallah floods in Ward number 55 is still nowhere in sight.
In this regard Councilor of the Ward, Preetam Singh informed that there are 12 Nallahs in his Ward which flood every rainy season and the gushing water enter residential houses inflicting damages while the houses adjoining to these Nallahs are also sinking at some places.
He said that immediate reconstruction of most of these Nallahs is the only solution for which many efforts were made but no fruitful results came.
The Councillor also claimed that repeated floods have rendered a Shiv temple in Apna Vihar area on the verge of collapse and there were no funds for its repair.
In an exclusive interaction with the Excelsior, Preetam Singh, who politically belongs to Congress and is a first time Councillor informed that due to lack of funds only 20 per cent work of construction and repair of drains was done in his Ward while the work of lanes and blacktopping of the roads is almost 60 per cent complete.
He informed that his Ward got 1200 Street Lights but 1500 more are needed and of the installed ones 40 per cent have been damaged and the concerned agency has never repaired them in time.
The Councillor said that water pipe replacement is needed in the Ward in some areas like Shanti Nagar and no pipe has been laid in New Shanti Nagar while in some parts of Kunjwani, Deep Nagar and Greater Jammu, hanging wires and damaged poles are there and new poles have to be installed at some other places.
Preetam Singh said that areas of his Ward include Kunjwani, Arjun Vihar, Mansarovar Enclave, Langar Village, Hari Vihar, Anand Vihar, Ambika Colony, Shankar Colony, Deep Nagar, Shiv Colony, Uttam Nagar, Greater Jammu, Rajput Mohalla, Marble Market, LIC Colony, Mohalla Brahmana, Mohalla Charkan, Deeli Mohalla, Sainik Colony Sector B, Sector 7 Channi Extension, Vaishnavi Enclave, Vichiter Enclave and Swagat Vihar.
The JMC Councillor also said that stray dogs are there in his Ward creating problems for the people.
“These canines not only litter here and there but they also bite people and chase two wheelers besides having created a wave of terror among women, children and old age people,” he continued.
“There are three ponds in the Ward with no development and these are at Kunjwani, Langar Colony and at Radha Krishan Mandir Deeli,” the Councillor maintained adding: “At the water body in Deeli, Rs. 80 lakh was spent by JMC but a workshop nearby drains out its waste into it and the concerned authorities have not taken any action despite repeated complaints in this regard.”
Singh said that there are eight parks in his Ward which are not developed so far and there is no playground, no parking place for vehicles, no health centre, no public toilet, no community hall in the Ward and the Ward office is also incomplete but there is a well at Peer Baba in Shanti Nagar.
“There are three crematoriums, one graveyard, two Shishu Smadhis in the Ward and of these only the cremation ground at Apna Vihar Extension is developed,” he said.
The Councillor also said that there are 54 Safai Karamcharis in his Ward but there is requirement of 120 and due to this shortage cleanliness in the Ward is very poor.
He informed that there are six garbage collecting autos in his Ward doing good work but still there are garbage dumps in the area.
Singh claimed that about 1500 people in the Ward at areas like Greater Jammu and Channi defecate in open.
He also informed that eight unregistered colonies are there in his Ward and there is no house numbering done there and the people have put their own numbers on their houses.
The JMC Councillor also said that drug addicts and peddlers are also active in the Ward for which the police should act strictly.
He said that there is only one Water Cooler in the Ward and demanded one more and said that as the Ward lies on the route of Shri Amaranth Yatra there is a need of water ATMs along the Yatra route.
Singh said that wrong vehicle parking on National Highway in his Ward causes many problems.
He informed that many widows, old age persons and physically challenged persons of his Ward are getting pension but the newly introduced rule for these pensions exclusively to Below Poverty Line people is creating problems for others and it should be removed immediately.
“Almost all the residents of my Ward have got their Ayushman Cards and all the eligible Voters have made their Voter Cards and same is the status of Domicile Certificates in my Ward,” the JMC Councillor said.
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