Avinash Azad
Jammu, Feb 17: In the absence of a viable solid waste management mechanism, Ranbir canal, the irrigation lifeline of entire province has been choked into most easily accessed garbage dump.
The Canal which starts from Chenab River in Akhnoor and after passing from Jammu city it ends at the RS Pura border and provides irrigation facility of Lakh of hectares of agriculture Land of Jammu province.
"Many localities have sprung up on the banks of Ranbir canal while many shops, vendors installed their establishments along the banks of canal. Most of the garbage was being dumped in the canal, which has decreased the intake capacity of the canal" said an official of Flood Control and Irrigation.
He said, "It is also disgusting on the part of, Jammu Municipal Corporation that many sewerage nallas also fall into the canal.
More than 20 sewerage nallahs dump hundreds of metric tons of garbage in the Ranbir Canal everyday due to which the depth and intake capacity of the canal is decreasing with each passing day."
He suggested that there should be joint efforts by concerned agencies and common masses to keep the water bodies clean.
He further said, "Owing to absence of complete de-silting of canals the water does not reached to the peak end villages. The villagers have appealed the concerned department to start immediately the de-silting process of the canals so that the farmers will not face problems because of water in coming days."
However, countering claims of Flood Control and Irrigation department, Mukesh, a shopkeeper said, "The irrigation department has three months for the de-silting of the canals but it is the general trend of department that every year they starts de-silting after many days of stopping of water and most of the portion of canal remains clogged."
Chief engineer of Irrigation department K K Gupta maintained that they have already taken up the matter with the Jammu Municipal Corporation to divert the nallas falling into the canal so the canals could save from being polluted. Gupta informed that they have also taken up the matter with JMC to provide Garbage containers to those localities which are situated along the Canal. |
