Early Times Newspaper Jammu
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De-silting of canal from Ashok Nagar to Nai Basti area irk residents
Irrigation department dumps garbage along road
Early Times Report

Jammu, Apr 10: The de-silting of irrigation canal near Ashok Nagar and Nai Basti area has turned out to be a depressing experience for local residents as garbage dumped along roads has made their life pathetic.
The locals informed Early Times that for the past couple of days the irrigation department had conducted the de-silting of the canal. “The earth movers had lifted the garbage from the canal but dumped the same along the road. Large mounds of garbage could be seen along the road between the road stretch of Nai-Basti to Ashok Nagar area”, a local said.
He said that initially they had thought that the same garbage dumps would be lifted within few days but after over six days, the garbage was still on the roads. “For first few days, foul smell continued to emanate from the garbage heaps and when it started drying up, dust took off,” another local said, adding that the garbage dumping is the best breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects.
The locals further said, “The garbage and dust is causing infections as well as other respiratory problems to the locals especially among the old age citizens and small children”. “Earlier during de-silting large amount of garbage was lifted from the canal but this time, the de-silting has been done only for namesake and large quantity of garbage has been left behind in the canal”, the residents alleged, adding that when the water flow would be restored in the canal, the remaining garbage would also flow with water and the department’s de-silting’ eyewash would also be washed away as usual. The residents further said that apart from some shopkeepers as well as owner of a food-mall the local residents were not responsible for dumping of garbage into the canal. “It is the failure of the department to take action against the violators of dumping of garbage in the canal. Why the department has not taken action against the violators”, another local said, adding that the department could not impose its failure upon the people by blaming them for pathetic condition of canal. Executive Engineer of Irrigation department Vivek Kohli said that the garbage was very wet, when it was lifted from the canal and it was not possible to transport it during de-silting process.
“The garbage lifted from the canal was dumped so that it gets dried up after which it is lifted”, Kohli said, adding that in case of particular locality, the garbage was dumped only three days back and assured that by night, same would be lifted.