The tall claims of the Jammu Municipal Corporation were exposed as roads, lanes and sub-lanes at key intersections in the city and many residential areas were choked, causing water-logging just at the beginning of first monsoon rains in the last 24 hours.
Heavy water-logging was witnessed around the roundabouts and streets in various colonies and mohallas due to which road gullies are lying blocked. However, the old city remained aloof from the water-loggings as usual being at a higher altitude.
Inundated Jammu does not go with the expected profile of it being a prime city and part of the ambitious Smart City Project! Substantial installations of the Signboards and landmarks could have waited for some more time and priority should have been given to the free-flow of drains and nallahs in the city.
One fails to understand to why the municipal authorities do not get fully prepared for the consequences of such inevitable rains. While the irresponsible citizens are also to blame for the negligent garbage disposal, JMC should have redressed the eminent problem of choked drains and nallahs well before the monsoon set in.
So is the case of potholes on the worn-out roads and lanes in civil areas causing huge difficulties to the commuters and the vehicles when these are flooded with knee-deep water-logging.
Though pre-monsoon showers have already started, the city is still not adequately prepared for the rains. The authorities are yet to start cleaning of blocked road gullies and stormwater drains.
As the monsoon is round the corner, residents believe that the civic body doesn’t have enough time to clean stormwater drains. There is a lack of coordination among agencies responsible for maintaining the drainage system. This is evident from the fact that the Canal Road just opposite to the GGM Science College turn into virtual rivers as the drainage system completely fails after the rain.
Municipal authorities are fully aware of the plastic bag nuisance and improper garbage disposal in the town that has been the prime cause of blockage of drains during rains. Appropriate measures have to be taken well in time to cope up with such bad situations. Illegal constructions and encroachments over the drains, blocking the free-flow of rainwater, are also a bane that is to be addressed by the municipal authorities on priority to avert waterlogging in civil areas.
The de-silting work claimed by the civic body seems merely an eyewash as water always remained accumulated on roads in plain part of Jammu often after the rains.
