Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 23: There seems no implementation of the High Court directives as the government has failed to remove illegal encroachments on the banks of River Jehlum or in flood channels.
The High Court had directed the government several times to remove all the encroachments and structures for preservation and protection of Jehlum.
The Court recently also directed the district administration and the police to assist the civic authorities in carrying out anti-encroachment drives, but despite that government is not taking any immediate measures to remove the encroachments along the Jehlum.
"Actually government agencies have allowed illegal constructions on the banks of water bodies over the years. Now government is undecided what to do with those constructions," an official of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department said.
The official said that SMC has also granted permission to several constructions, which will not be removed.
"They should not have been allowed. Now it is not possible to remove these constructions," the official said.
Following the September 2014 floods, the High Court had directed the government to remove encroachments along the water bodies. After which government removed constructions on several places on the banks of Jehlum. A big construction has also been raised near Zero Bridge Srinagar in the flood channel.
The building is being constructed just few hundred metres away from Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control's office. So far, three storeys have been constructed and pillars have been erected for the fourth one.
Locals at the Rajbagh, said construction was started in 2016 during the unrest. "Till 2016 end, we did not know because the place where the construction is taking place was fully covered with green tarpaulin so that nobody raised objections," Mohammad Abdullah, a resident of Rajbagh, said. "When it was raised to second storey then we got to know about it."
Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Riyaz Ahmad Wani, claimed that government had granted permission for the said construction in 2010.
Jhelum, one of the oldest rivers of the Valley, is at the receiving end of encroachments, pollution, and dumping. Illegal establishments are infringing the river embankments at various places in the city including Chattabal, Qamarwari, and its adjoining areas. Padshahi Canal situated in Ganderbal too bore the brunt of it. It has shrunk to "3 to 5 feet from the range of 17 to 27 feet". |
