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| Flood zones in Rajouri-Poonch under encroachment, Distt Admins mute spectator | | |  RAJESH TANDON
EARLY TIMES REPORT
POONCH, Aug 27: Not learning any lesson from the 2014 flash floods that wreak havoc in J&K and causing extensive damage to life and property, the district administrations of Poonch and Rajouri are again seems to be ill-prepared to tackle the emerging situation in the wake of incessant rainfall for the last few days.
The present scenario is getting from bad to worse due to continuous rains but the two district administrations are still acting as mute spectators since hardly anything was done to remove the large scale encroachments in flood zones. Due to the official lethargy, the menace of encroachments in flood zone area is going on unabated.
The continuous rain, which has lashed the Jammu region, has been creating havoc at many places as it has taken the shape of flash flood resulting in huge loss to the life and property. Mostly, the areas which are affected adversely due to flood like situations are those locations which were developed illegally in flood zones.
Though sensing the threatening situation, help numbers were issued by the local administrations and police but the question which arises time and again is that who authorizes the people to carry out construction in flood zones. “A lot of construction activity has taken place near the flood zone area along Salani Bridge in Rajouri and similarly near SK Bridge in Poonch, which is totally illegal but administrations have turned blind eyes to it,” sources alleged.
Although the issue has been raised before the respective administrations and concerned departments many a times but no action has been taken till date, said sources.
“Chief Engineer Flood Control Department, Divisional Commissioner Jammu and concerned Executive Engineers were informed about the issue but nothing happened,” said sources.
“The concerned departments remain indulged in blame game. The Flood Control Department claimed that it had asked the police to take action against the illegal encroachers but police didn’t comply with the directions,” they added.
They further said that the land mafia in these areas is too powerful and active that whenever the issue is raised, these anti-social elements try to give it a communal colour to throttle the possible administrative action.
Some police officers informed that people living in flood zones remain adamant to stay back despite issuance of warnings due to which police had to face difficulty in rescuing them after they get stuck in flood.
When contacted Chief Engineer, Flood Control Jammu said that he has just joined the posting, but would inquire about the matter and appropriate action will be taken against the culprits. |
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