Dear Editor,
Trough your esteemed daily, I would like to highlight the issue that flyovers are turning into new slums. While government is busy with the paper work to build new infrastructure, flyovers, roads, half constructed buildings have become shelters for roofless and is turning into new slums in Jammu City.
Flyovers make a cozy home for these migrants in the city. Moreover, it is free and no one is there to question. Most of these spaces are used by people working on the roads indulging in begging or selling small items.
The space under flyovers is also used by rickshaw pullers, ice-cream vendors and hawkers to sleep at night as it is an open house.
In our city there are several children living alone and they often are seen living in small clusters near their area of work. These are rag pickers, working at construction sites, at tea stalls, etc. Many of them use these flyovers as a place to seek shelter at night.
I really wonder why the authorities allow this entire nuisance. At the entry of the residential colony they are allowing the rag-pickers to establish another colony under these flyovers which really gives a bad impression. Moreover, ours is a very sensitive state and such things can pose a security threat to the security.
It is a serious issue and needs proper attention. The need of the hour is that the concerned authorities and civil administration should keep a check on these growing colonies under flyovers and in other open space.
D.P Singh (Raju)
Jammu.