It is a matter of grave concern that yesterday's Assam-like floods in Jammu City following nearly two hours of rainfall have exposed glaring inadequacies in the so-called ‘Smart City' development initiatives. What was promised to be a state-of-the-art, resilient urban landscape has instead unveiled a city struggling with basic drainage issues leading to widespread flooding.
This was contrary to what was promised when Jammu was branded as a smart city, raising serious questions about the efficacy and accountability of the ongoing development. The substantial financial resources allocated for the Smart City initiative seem to have been drained without delivering the expected outcomes. Instead of modern, efficient infrastructure, residents are now facing a severe crisis every time it rains.
This situation not only eroded the public trust but also threw light on the apparent lack of expertise among the engineers and planners responsible for these projects. The catastrophic failure of the drainage system points to fundamental flaws in the planning and execution phases, suggesting that colossal mistakes were made which consequently disrupted even the natural drainage, for which Jammu was famous in the past.
The responsibility for this debacle lies squarely with the civic bodies and government officials overseeing the smart city project. Their inability to anticipate and mitigate such predictable issues is testimony to the fact that there is a disturbing level of incompetence and negligence prevailing among those having the onus to transform the region.
The urgency of climate adaptation seems to have been grossly underestimated as north, south and western parts of the city were all submerged, with people struggling to save lives and properties as houses were converted into ponds and markets into lakes. Despite repeated assurances and significant expenditures, the actual outcome is far from satisfactory. Already, this newspaper has raised this issue many times but it seems that authorities are adamant and not interested in bringing any change on ground except ‘robbing' the chest having exchequer on one count or the other.
Residents of Jammu are rightfully aggrieved after witnessing their city suffer from mismanagement and poor planning despite the hefty investments made in the name of development. The government must immediately address these issues, starting with a thorough audit of the smart city projects and holding the responsible parties accountable.
It is imperative to reassess and rectify the existing infrastructure, ensuring that future development projects should come up without any lacunae.
