news details |
|
|
| Yatri Niwas at Bhagwati Nagar | | | | The announcement by the J&K Chief Secretary, B R Kundal, after on spot inspection of the works under progress on the Yatri Niwas premises being conducted at Bhagwati Nagar that the Bhawn will become operational by June 10, will be widely welcomed. The setting up of the Yatri Niwas for Amarnath pilgrims which will also serve to house Vaishno Devi pilgrims during the period Amarnath Yatra is not on, has become a reality after many hitches and the authorities dragging their feet repeatedly for creating such a facility for the pilgrims coming from all over the country, in Jammu city, where almost all required infrastructure and facilities are available to the yatris. That the project under execution by the Tourism Department with an estimated cost of nearly Rs 5 crore will accommodate 1500 yatris at a time and provide all the facilities under one premises spread over an area of 20 kanals, shows that in the long run it will not suffice to accommodate all the pilgrims desiring to stay here, since during two months of yatra the premises can accommodate not more than 1 lakh pilgrims, whereas the estimates are that the number of pilgrims even this year will go as high as five lakh. This means four lakh of yatris shall still have to depend upon alternative lodgings. Taking in view this fact the authorities have asked the Directorate School Education Jammu to make available school buildings in the event of pilgrim rush as and when the need arises. Given that almost half of the pilgrims undertaking the yatra would like to arrange private accommodation in hotels and rented lodges, still there will be requirement of 2.5 lakh pilgrims to be lodged in the government arranged accommodation. In nutshell the present arrangements of accommodating 1500 pilgrims daily in the Yatri Niwas will not be adequate. There will be still need for more land for expansion of the Yatri Niwas. Temporarily tented accommodation can be arranged in the open space along the Yatri Niwas. It is heartening to learn that 50 kanals of more land is under acquisition and is being developed for parking of vehicles to be used for transporting the yatris. But what will be required is construction of more halls for the lodging of adequate number of yatris. Further every care should be taken that lodging of such a large number of people, about 2000 daily in the Yatri Niwas along the bank of river Tawi in no way leads to pollution of the river. For this adequate number of lavatories the excreta from which in no way flows into the Tawi, shall have to be constructed through latest hygienic devices. Above all the approach road to the Yatri Niwas via road along Ranbir canal and Bhagwati Nagar is quite narrow. There is every fear of traffic jams and chaos, causing inconvenience to the inhabitants of the area, besides to the pilgrims. Hence there is dire need to construct a wide road linking right bank of bridge over Tawi river with the Yatri Niwas site along the bund on river Tawi. This will further strengthen embankment of Tawi river, as a safe guard against over flowing of flood water. Besides a flyover can be constructed, which can ultimately join the road to Akhnoor, to ease traffic on this road. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
