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| Ponds fall prey to human voraciousness | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Vaibhavi Chandel
JAMMU, Mar 5: Once known for abundant water bodies, especially the ponds, Jammu is mutely watching the slow death of the nature’s treasure mainly because of the human greed and apathetic approach of the administration that is supposed to take care of the precious heritage.
Parched river beds, dried ponds and the desiccated waterfalls are genuinely the cause of concern for all those who once used to boast about these.
The continuously depleting ground water level combined with the dried natural water sources is alarmingly making the city dwellers think as to how they will meet the water requirements in future but the height is that Jammu Municipal Corporation has no provision with them to save the ponds, which once were the main wter source for the people.
Water crisis in Jammu has its root in history. Once Jammu had enormous water bodies, which mostly used to serve the purpose of the locals. But the unmanaged and the random development has left the city dwellers in the situation where they have to face the scarcity of water.
As the main city was situated on a plateau, high above the river banks, the water requirements were met by numerous water tanks, some of which were converted into pucca tanks during the 19th century.
The main tanks in the Jammu region were the Mubarak Mandi tank built in 1877, Raghunath temple tank built in 1960, Ajaibghar tank built in 1875 for the vist of the Prince of Wales, Rani Talab built by the queen of Poonch, Rani Kehloori tank built by the queen of Maharaja Ranbir Singh, and Ram Talai, a small tank built in 880 by Bua
Bhutani, the Royal Cook. There were many other less significant tanks and ponds.
The present localities of Talab Khatikan and Talab Tillo got their names from the big ponds there.
Except for Rani Kehloori’ tank and Bua Bhutani Ram Talai, all other tanks and ponds in the Jammu city have been destroyed to make way for the commercial complexes.
Notwithstanding the generally unhygienic quality of water, ponds have been the main source of drinking water for the villagers and the cattle especially in the Kandi areas of the region.
In many Jammu villages, water is supplied only two or three days in a week. In summers, they are forced to switch over the stagnant water of the ponds due to inadequate supply of tap water. As the ponds in the country side too have vanished, those existing are in a very sorry state of affairs. They face the pathetic neglect of the authorities
that be. The diameter of the pond hasalready decreased and now the pond is on the verge of extinction.
The locals accuse the authorities of neglect and regret that even the locals have also been responsible the depletion of this mega pond, which is without fencing. It is a potential threat for the safety of the passers by, especially the children apart for being a chronic health hazard.
“This pond is being used by the people as a dumping site. No one is worried. Whereas the pond is dying slow death, it is a good breeding ground for mosquitoes. So the people living near the pond are always living under fear of diseases”, says Ashu Bharti, a resident of Janipur.
The residents say that ponds are natural source of water and if maintained properly these can be relaxing points for the dwellers. So what is required is that the authorities should take some action to mitigate this problem and to save these dying treasure.
As per JMC Commissioner, “There is no such provision for the up keeping of the water bodies with the department. The Pond in Janipur comes in Municipal jurisdiction so we can surely do something to maintain it otherwise it comes under rural development”.
“Surely in future we will think over it, he adds ”.
As per an official of the Municipal Corporation even they received an application from Kamlesh Manhas, a resident of Janipur wherein she had written to clean the pond but no action could be taken as the Municipal Corporation is not clear whether this comes under their department or not.
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