Heavy rain remains a pain for Jammu residents

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 2

Notwithstanding tall claims of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) regarding cleaning and desilting of nullahs and drains in the city, the recent downpour this monsoon has wreaked havoc, with a majority of nullahs overflowing and rainwater entering houses in low-lying areas.

There are more than 250 nullahs and deep drains in the winter capital, some of which are prone to flooding during the monsoon. No proper action has been taken in advance to prevent the overflowing of rainwater.

Nullahs and deep drains in the areas of Sanjay Nagar, Nanak Nagar Extension, Trikuta Nagar, Talab Tillo, Canal Road, Krishna Nagar, Jewel and Janipur are prone to flooding and require regular and periodic desilting before the onset of monsoon, but that has not happened.

“Last year, we approached the JMC to ensure cleaning and desilting of nullahs before the monsoon, but in vain. We were lucky that nothing happened during that period. This time, it caused extensive damage to life and property,” said Bhushan Kumar, a resident of Nanak Nagar.

“JMC officials are conducting tours of city areas now to take stock of the situation. Had they taken preventive measures before the monsoon, things could have been very different,” he added.

“The nullah near Chandi Mata temple overflows with rainwater every monsoon. The downpour a few days back caused much more damage compared to previous monsoons. Not only were cars parked near the nullah submerged, but water entered houses as well,” said Mayank, a resident of Trikuta Nagar.

“The steady trend of migration from rural areas around Jammu to the city, breaking up of the joint family system, rising per capita income and mass migration from the Valley to Jammu have resulted in the mushrooming of colonies on the periphery,” said an official.

When contacted, RS Jamwal, Joint Commissioner (Administration), JMC, said most of the nullahs and deep drains vulnerable to flooding were desilted and cleaned.

“Though desilting and cleaning of all nullahs and deep drains is a time-consuming process, our top priority is to clean those which are very vulnerable to flooding,” he said.