It is going in Kashmir!
- Over-exploitation of humans affect life of water and land animals but there is no one to check these looters.
- People around feel suffocated by misdeeds of “influential” social or otherwise but everyone is helpless as they have money and muscle power.
JJ CORRESPONDENT
Anantnag, Jun 05: All the civilisations thrive on the banks of water sources, water courses or water bodies. Most of these are extinct and rest of these are on the verge of extinction. Some names of these sources and courses are heard from centenarians or seen in revenue records only. Unscrupulous persons in every society do exist. But ethical and honest can’t be outnumbered. The government is meant to tackle the hoodlums and protect the interests of the tender.
Being encouraged and emboldened by the actions of Dr Piyush Singla Deputy Commissioner, District Anantnag, Kashmir, JKUT, against the people who have encroached upon government land like state land, forest land, kahcharai or water bodies, water courses or their adjoining land, we venture to highlight the issue through this medium.
An apt and glaring example can be cited here that demands immediate attention of DC and others. A water course originates from Martand Temple Mattan, Anantnag, Kashmir and flows through different villages to the township of Anantnag. Till recent past it was as if dew from flora made flown into a channel. Now, it so polluted that even government authorities are prohibiting its use. All the household toilet drains are flown directly into it. Slaughter-cum selling sheds of beef have been erected on the fringe of banks and all the dirt in the shape of blood and bones and dung are directly dropped into this stream. Breeding of dogs is on increase. Life in general is on stake. School children are vulnerable to dog biting. Children are infested with infections. People stand awed. Municipal committees and councils stand informed but they hoodwink general masses. The course has been encroached upon to the extent that even a dog can’t sip water from it because of the structures built so close to it in the shape of houses, sheds or earth filling of banks converted to cultivable land.
The remarkable thing is that all these people (encroachers) are influential as social, political or official. The land grabbed on the banks of “chakai” that originates from Mattan temple had its socio-religious importance that faded away with time unfavourable to the inhabitants.
The same strip of two banks of 5 kilometres from Mattan to Anantnag can be used for genuine social purposes: Schools of the vicinity are housed in dingy, unventilated buildings. These are facing scarcity of land for conducting Morning-Assemblies or playing activities. Health facility centres and veterinaries are in sheds or rented niches.
Patwari-Khanas are housed in private residential houses and the house owners have good influence on the revenue officials.
Two banks from the origin to the township of Anantnag can be used even as tracks for morning/evening walks by the people living in the vicinity. The government can open library, gym centre, amusement park, parking places, playing fields, hotels and motels.
Most of the residents earn their living through traditional means like Namda-sazi, Gabba-sazi, Chain stitch, Tilla-work, willow-work etc. If land is retrieved, they can open stalls on the banks of the streamlet known as chakai or baed kohl. It is connected with KP road, a highway to Pahalgam and visitors can be attracted to this village and it can emerge as rural tourist spot. Through these villages is the traditional way of Yatra and government must know.
The encroachments have been made on the behest of the Chowkidars of the area along with Lambardars, Patwaries, Naibs Tehsildars, AEE of irrigation subdivision Mattan, Ziladar of Irrigation, Khilafwarzi Officers of Municipal Committees and Councils. Local employees of these departments are not sincere government servants. They took advantage of halla-bulla in the valley. Even, the government employees didn’t accept the complaints.
The government land under encroachment here costs hundreds of crores as per market value but it can be used for genuine sustainable development. The area is educationally and economically backward. There is low literacy rate. Female literacy is even lower. Youth have become addicted to drugs. DC Anantnag is requested to provide a channel to the youth to give vent to their youthful energy and emotions.
The agricultural land that was irrigated by this water course has turned barren and the farmers are compelled to sell it for non-agricultural use to the same brokers who have encroached the government land in the first instance.
