WE THE PEOPLE
Despite Clear Guidelines, Pollutants continue to pour into river Jehlum, PCB totally unmoved
Hence people urge PCB/SMC officials to get Effluents Treated before discharging into water bodies
By: MNS/Shirjeel
SRINAGAR: Despite daily slogans to save and keep water bodies clean, Kashmir valley's main river Jehlum and its Flood Spill channel continue to receive pollutants with State Pollution Control Board behaving like a mute spectator. The UEED and SMC Dewatering stations are discharging pollutants into them without any resistance from any quarter. There are specific guidelines for dilution ratio, but it seems that our engineers and others are ignorant about this basic fundamental principle of Hydraulics.
It is worth mentioning that Kashmir Valley has peculiar hydraulic characteristics and as such uncertain flood conditions, which have been leaving a trail of death and destruction so far. It was in this background that Engineers in the past went for construction of Flood Spill Channel from Padshahi Bagh upto Parimpora to draw flood waters upstream city of Srinagar and then drop back the same just downstream the city near Parimpora. Later the Channel was extended upto Narbal, but it did not serve the purpose. Finally, the experts suggested its extension upto Banyari where it meets the Wullar Lake. With the extension of the channel to its terminus point, it has taken care of excessive flood discharge whenever such conditions occurred in the Valley. Now the main channel has silted up to alarming proportions and lost its utility beyond description. Besides officials of UEED and SMC continue to drop all waste matter and sullage into it.
It was during late seventies that attention was paid towards flood problem and a team of experts requisitioned from the Central Water Commission (CWC) besides the services of an expert from the University of Punjab were hired to formulate a project that could provide measures to control floods in the Valley. Finally, a Master Plan was prepared to suggest measures to counteract any threat to the lives and property of Kashmir population. But it is unfortunate that no concrete action has been taken since its formulation and thus the threat looms large all along the horizon of the Valley. Moreover, there are huge encroachments on water-bodies, especially the river Jhelum which have further decreased the carrying capacity of flood discharge. There are large lagoons and islands, which are full of plantation contribute largely towards obstruction to the free flow of water. It is, therefore, high time to launch an intensive drive against all obstructions to make way for free flow of water besides get discharging of pollutants into water bodies stopped.
Reverting back to the main flood spill channel, it is advisable that the State Government takes steps to remove the debris and silt load that has largely reduced the carrying capacity of the channel. If the Government faces any financial crunch, then alternatively people be asked to go for excavation of the bed right from its head to tail. However, one precaution is needed that such excavation should be done under technical supervision so that the cross section of the channel is kept and maintained at a uniform level besides embankments are not damaged. It will help general masses to obtain earth free of cost, but it will simultaneously save the State exchequer from incurring huge expenses on dredging of the channel.
"It was in good olden days that the authorities would involve people under `Halasheri', but would get works executed under proper supervision. That was not free for all as is noticed in case of flood spill channel downstream Narbal Bridge nowadays. People have deployed trucks, tippers and heavy equipment to excavate earth, but all this is being done quite haphazardly. Much damage has been caused to the banks and their restoration will strain State Exchequer quite heavily. Had people been permitted under some well-drawn plan and some technical personnel kept in-charge of such operation, things would not go out of control. It is better that such works are done by general masses as it will help both the parties, but whatever is to be done needs proper planning and supervision. The technical personnel in-charge of the channel should be assigned the job of preparing plans reach-wise and people involved in the work accordingly. Moreover, the main river needs dredging, but that should be done at its out-fall channel as it had been planned in the past. In fact, the State Government had purchased lot of dredgers and other heavy equipment, but that has reportedly turned into a junk today", said a group of elderly persons of Kashmir Valley.
In view of what has been stated above, it would be appropriate that SPCB comes into action and gets dropping of pollutants into river Jehlum and Flood Spill channel stopped without any further delay.
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