news details |
|
|
| Untouched... by Swachh Bharat Abhiyan | | |  Akshay Azad
Early Times Report
Jammu, August 10: Even though Modi government has spent billions on advertisement of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) in the past over three years, it has failed to change sanitary and cleanliness conditions prevailing in slums in and around the city of temples.
The country wide sanitation campaign seems to be non-existent for over 400 families of Maratha slum colony. In the absence of a drainage system, the colony resembles a proverbial stink hole. With the onset of rainy season, the sewage water has been overflowing onto the lanes and is seeping into shanties. The downpour often brings water-logging, providing breeding ground for various insects and worms, threatening water borne diseases.
The colony located near Jammu Railway Station is house to daily wage earning migrant labourers mostly from Maharashtra and Rajasthan. While many of its residents are engaged in odd jobs for daily sustenance, a large number of labourers work at Railway godowns.
Spread over 10 kanals , the colony has been encircled by over 10 feet high walls by the Railway department on two sides whereas the remaining two sides have residential houses and a boundary wall of General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) Transit Camp. Consequently, the slum resembles a ghetto with no proper entrance.
The slum dwellers have piled up bags filled with sand and concrete on both sides of the boundary wall of Railway department, making way to the external world.
Each blue and black tarpaulin clad shanty in the colony has small pits for storage of sewerage. After two or three days, when the pit gets filled up, they again empty it with the help of buckets.
Most of the times the overflowing sewerage and potable water from public taps makes way to the narrow lanes and ultimately to the low lying areas, that have becomes breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies.
Sangeeta (32), who used to sell hosiery items in trains, said that all of locality members including women have to bath at the nearby canal in the absence of public bathrooms. "Those people who had created space in their shanties for bath, had to abandoned their usage for want of drainage facility", Sangeeta said and lamented, "during rainy season, the canal water becomes filthy and the slum dwellers have to go without bath for several days."
She also complained that due to pollution in canal water, skin diseases are common among the dwellers including children.
"A couple of years ago, we collected over Rs. 50,000 and constructed a 50 meters long cemented drain and a pit to stock drainage water of the locality. A motor pump was also installed at the pit Being outsiders in Jammu and Kashmir, most of
the migrant labourers living in city slums remain
untouchable for the government and it's welfare schemes
Nagina's husband died nearly a decade ago and she lives alone after marrying off her two daughters. She complained that whenever it rains, dirty water comes flooding her shanty. "During every monsoon season, I have to take refuge in adjoining shanties," Nagina said remorsefully, adding that many other residents in the slum shared her problem.
Anand(32), who earns his livelihood by polishing shoes at Railway station rued that though rains often brings respite during summer but their more rains mean more troubles for slum dweller. "The rich can enjoy rains but for us rain bring stench, overflowing drainage water, diseases and overall miseries," Anand remarked, adding anxiously that "I am worried that my family may get infected with diseases anytime soon."
Raja (47), who runs a small shop in the colony, recalled a recent visit paid by a medical team. "The stench pervading the locality made it impossible for doctors to stay here for even an hour. So they requested us to get checked up and medicines outside the locality," Raja said, adding, "but we have nowhere to go and feel compelled to continue living animal existence in this locality. We are invisible to the government and the municipal officials."
"Apart from being poor we are also considered outsiders, so we can't seek any facility from the government authorities," Sourav (40), who is considered as head of the locality said referring to State Subject laws of Jammu and Kashmir.
When the issue was brought to the notice of Health Officer, Jammu Municipal Corporation Dr. Saleem, he said: "The area belongs to the Railways and it was their responsibility to ensure cleanliness in the area."
On the condition of anonymity, an official of Civil Wing of Railway department said that the slum area doesn't belong to the Railway department. "We have our boundary walls and the slum area falls outside. It is the responsibility of Jammu Municipal Corporation to provide drainage facility to them," he added.
However, a local shopkeeper and a native of the area claimed that the plot the land of Maratha Colony is owned by about 8-10 persons of Jammu. "The owners of the land are wealthy people and the slum dwellers are default caretakers of their plots who can be evicted anytime," he said, adding that "who is bothered about their living conditions. Being poor and outsiders in Jammu and Kashmir, they are untouchables for the government and it's welfare schemes." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
