Vegetation chokes rivulets in Una, poses threat to bridges

A number of tributaries of the Swan river in Una district are choked with thick vegetation in the absence of any cleaning mechanism. The situation is so grave that vegetation has even reached above the level of many major bridges, posing a threat to the concrete flooring under them.

It presents a fit situation for disasters during the coming monsoon season as thick walls of vegetation will hinder the flow of water in the rivulets, thus causing damage to embankments. Besides, the vegetation will also stop muck and other deposits near the bridges, exposing these structures to damage. Besides, an investment of over Rs 1,500 crore in the past two decades under a World Bank project to create stone-pitched embankments on both sides of the Swan and its tributaries is also in jeopardy.

Arvind Lakhanpal, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, Bangana division, says that he will notify Assistant Engineers under his command to get the vegetation on both sides of the bridges removed. Kuldeep Singh, Executive Engineer of Una subdivision, reiterates the action required.

During the last monsoon season, a couple of major bridges in Una district were washed away and many more were damaged. Silt had deposited in water channels, raising the bed level and prompting vegetation to thrive. The Jal Shakti Department’s flood control wing or by the Public Works Department had made no cleaning efforts in most of the rivulets.

A Jal Shakti Department officer says that there is a paucity of funds and dredging or cleaning an elaborate network of water channels in the district is not possible.