DOST KHAN
JAMMU: Last week’s flood devastation in Belicharana, a low lying reportedly illegal habitation, in the close vicinity between the main Tawi Bridge and Fourth Bridge on left side of the river bank in the heart of Temple City has raised several questions with regard to proprietary and accountability of ruling elite, both political executives and bureaucrats. But for the stroke of luck, many lives were saved, as the Tawi swelled during day time. Had it been night hours, the catastrophe could not have been averted. And, in such an eventuality, who would have been responsible for human loss or who is liable now for the damages caused to property? The answere to this complex question is hard to find out because of close nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, police, land mafia, encroachers and vested interests.
The Tawi banks of the Jammu city remain testimony to the administrative apathy, which has allowed illegal constructions to come up and land grabbing to gain momentum. At times it is vote politics and most of the times caste, creed and religion has played the dirty trick. The Belicharana and its peripheries also remind of political hegemony or arrogance of a powerful Kashmiri politician who has not only encouraged land grabbing by kin and a good chunk of his supporters but also misused the government funds and machinery to make it a prime area by raising huge infrastructure in the name of beautification and tourism attraction. The height of the highhandedness was witnessed months earlier when a key parapet of the bridge was demolished to facilitate approach road to a nearby locality. Most of the habitation on Tawi banks has come up on the State land, which has not been got vacated due to political intervention from time to time. The public servants and the politicians have betrayed the trust reposed in them and behaved like feudal lords to ‘bless their loyalists’ whatever they can lay hand on.
Five days ago, a minister holding the portfolio of Housing Department visited Belicharana and other localities which were inundated in the wake of recent flash floods. Together with senior officers, he took stock of the damages caused and steps taken by the administration to minimise the sufferings of affected population. The flood victims are lodged in tents and several facilities like food and beddings are being provided to them by the administration. He gave a whole lot of instructions on what to and what not to do. No qualms about that. But the mute question remains how he could ask for providing drinking water and electricity for the habitation which is prone to flood threat and on a land that belongs to the State. None of the senior officers, including controversial Deputy Commissioner Jammu, thought it prudent to advise the minister that his instructions tantamount to violation of norms. How could it be, as the Deputy Commissioner himself failed miserably or deliberately to get encroachments in a Jammu locality vacated despite court orders.
Ironically, it was the same minister who, while holding revenue portfolio years ago, had cautioned concerned officers, during the course of reviewing upgradation of Jammu Airport on 4th May 2010, against land grabbing or trespassing on public property with instructions to deal with the offenders strictly. What has changed in these four years that it is being felt imperative to have the settlers resettled. This is interestingly the period during which the land value in this particular area has increased manifold and some land grabbers were selling plots on whopping prices with facilities coming up all over.
Belicharana is not a single example of connivance between unscrupulous elements in the politics, the administration and the society that has caused enormous losses to the State exchequer but land grabbing has become order of the day in Jammu and Kashmir. Coupled with element of corruption, the opportunistic elements are grabbing whatever piece of land available, even in flood channels and Nallas. The encroachments taking place across the city reflects how the administration is turning nelson’s eye to gross violations taking place in the cities, towns and semi-urban areas.
True, the Belicharana tragedy is a human problem, which has to be handled humanely. It becomes incumbent upon the government to find out alternate locations for their rehabilitation and remove all the existing encroachments in the entire area. It also becomes necessary for the civil society to play the role of watch dog and expose the corrupt and unscrupulous elements in the administration and the politics. They have numerous options available to free the system from evil, provided they muster courage. It is heartening that some well meaning activists of Save Tawi-Save Paryavaran Andolan have taken upon themselves the crucial task of freeing the Tawi banks from illegal occupation. Their effort to get at least 12 illegal colonies and hamlets cleared of encroachments needs wholehearted support of Jammu gentry.