Silt-clearance project creates traffic chaos, residents suffer

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 27

The Railway Station-Trikuta Nagar route in the winter capital is witnessing traffic chaos due to heaps of garbage and silt lying on roadsides due to the ongoing silt-clearance project of Ranbir Canal undertaken by the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department. 

Sources said the project is undertaken by I&FC Department in collaboration with other departments every year. The month-long project is to be completed before April 14 to release water in the main Ranbir Canal from the Chenab river in Akhnoor. 

The sources said water supply in Ranbir Canal this year was stopped in January and the tender process to invite bids of contractors for the silt-clearance project was started in February. After its completion, the project got underway in March in all tributaries of Ranbir Canal and it will continue till the second week of April.

“Due to lack of coordination between the I&FC Department and the agencies, heaps of garbage and silt from the Ranbir Canal in many areas within the city are lying on the roadsides and the officers are least bothered about the inconvenience being caused due to the blockage of road. Trikuta Nagar and railway station areas are at the receiving end due to official apathy. This is happening since decades,” Rakesh Choudhary, a resident of Trikuta Nagar, said.

“Even the digging inside the canal to lift the silt and garbage is not being done properly. For example, in order to maintain the natural surface level of the canal, it is very important to lift all the silt and garbage otherwise when the water comes into the canal, it overflows and enters into houses,” a source said.

“At some points, digging of only 1 foot is enough to lift the silt and garbage but there are some points in the canal where there is a requirement of digging up to 4 to 8 feet but it is not being done,” the source added. 

Pertinently, the Ranbir Canal Command Area Project falls in Jammu district and forms the lifeline to inhabitants of three Tehsils viz Jammu (partly), RS Pura and Bishnah, thereby covering five rural development blocks, namely Bhalwal (partly), Marh, Satwari, RS Pura and Bishnah. The canal has the largest irrigation network in J&K.