2 communities lock horns over waterlogging

Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Gurdaspur, July 16

Even as the district administration is trying to find a solution to the vexed problem of waterlogging in the streets of Khojepur village, the 1,600 odd villagers, a majority of whom belong to Scheduled Castes, are demanding security fearing a backlash by the half a dozen Jat Sikh families.

Today, a JCB machine reached the village but pressure from these families meant drainage work could not commence.

The Jat Sikhs are controlling all the water outlets and following their refusal to let the villagers use them water has been stagnating in the narrow alleys for the last several years.

Deputy Commissioner Vipul Ujwal held a meeting of more than 25 officers belonging to half a dozen departments two days ago. After that he dispatched ADC (General) Tejinder Pal Singh Sandhu as his trouble-shooter to the area.

Sandhu, after taking a round of the affected areas along with senior officers, said water was accumulating because of an assortment of reasons, including the difference in the level of the streets.

“Since water flows from a higher level to a lower level it tends to accumulate in streets which have been constructed at low-lying areas. We are making arrangements to first clear the pools of stagnant water after which we will ensure the streets are brought to the same level. A plan has been drawn up with the help of the Water Supply and Sanitation Department. There is no upper caste-lower caste divide as was being made out by certain vested interests. Moreover, in order to arrive at a permanent solution, we have sent a proposal to the Rural Development Ministry asking it to sanction Rs 44 lakh. We will be constructing a proper drainage system once the money is sanctioned,” said ADC Sandhu.

An official revealed that a JCB machine to clear huge heaps of soil would also be pressed into service once the administration gave the green signal. These mounds were acting as an impediment in the free flow of water. The Jat Sikhs, who owed tracts of agriculture land, were objecting that water should not enter their fields. Jyoti Bala, Congress sarpanch, claimed that she would not let work start till adequate security was provided.

“In February, some influential Jat Sikh families attacked us. Cross FIRs were registered at the Dinanagar police station. We again fear that there may be a backlash. I have moved a resolution in the gram panchayat demanding police protection,” she said.

Officials, however, denied that the Scheduled Castes were threatened by the Jat Sikhs. “Political contours are unnecessarily being given to the issue. The problem is how to drain out the water. I fail to understand why the affected villagers are politicising the issue,” said an officer present in the village to find a solution.

Meanwhile, the administration has promised to commence work tomorrow after providing security.