JAMMU: In a Public Interest Litigation filed by Inderjeet Khajuria, President, All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association, Jammu espouses public causes including creation of Artificial Lake in River Tawi and Gandola Project from Mubarak Mandi to Bhau Fort, a Division Bench of State High Court comprising Justice Virender Singh and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur after hearing Senior Advocate B S Salathia with Advocate Meenakshi Salathia for the PIL whereas AAG Seema Shekhar for the state whereas Advocate Sindu Sharma for the JDA, directed Municipal Commissioner Jammu and Vice Chairperson JDA to file response within four weeks’ regarding what steps have been taken by them till date for removing garbage thrown on one side of river Tawi.
The petitioner submitted that the State Government has been claiming to take all possible measures to make Jammu City a place of tourist attraction by resorting to its natural beauty. Many efforts have been made to improvise and change the landscape of Jammu City into an attractive one but of no avail. Since, the economy of the State is totally dependent on ‘tourism’ the State Government from time to time has been claiming to come up with different plans to do the needful, for instance, construction of different municipal parks, installation of statues at highways, building roads, developing its heritage at Mubarak Mandi Complex, Gandola project connecting Mubarak Mandi Complex to Bahu Fort, besides Artificial Lake in River Tawi.
The petition also highlighted that with the train reaching Katra, the business, the importance of Jammu as a city/destination for tourists has gone to a new low, and the pilgrims/tourists have been losing all interest in Jammu City altogether.
So it becomes imperative on part of the State/Central Government to identify the important tourist spots and work together for their preservation/development. Thus, one of major ‘tourist attractions’ of all times is the scared River Tawi.
It is further submitted that Surya Putri River Tawi originates from Kali Kundi Glacier and adjoining areas of southwest of Bhaderwah, District Doda. But in the recent years the flow of water has been decreasing owing to the pollution and discharge of increasing untreated sewage dumped into the river. Keeping in view these problems, the authorities at the helm of affairs proposed construction of an Artificial Lake , as the same was sure to have a remarkable effect on the environment as well as economy of the State in general and Jammu City in particular. It is submitted that the preservation of the left over part of River Tawi becomes the moral and legal duty of every citizen as well as the Government to ensure that the said area is not allowed to be encroached upon by the authorities by such elements who are hell bent to encroach the same in connivance with the concerned officials by taking illegal recourse to the provisions of Roshini Scheme.
Petitioner further submitted that a PIL is an instrument that enables persons/ organizations to sue Governments and public agencies for not fulfilling their responsibilities and causing damage to the public mandating upon the respondents to clarify as to whether why the project undertaken years ago, despite sanction of monies by the Central and State Government from time to time, to beautify the city, till date remains a dream.
The petitioner feels humbled to sustain this PIL with a view to mandate upon the respondents to explain reasons for negligence on their part in supervising the enforcement of heritage protection laws and for turning a blind eye to illegal constructions/encroachments that are mushrooming in the banks of River Tawi which because of being prone to floods, must be population free. Unfortunately, the land grabbers in connivance with the concerned authorities succeeded in causing encroachment even on