Under Sham Lal’s rule encroachment on canal bank continue unabated

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, July 04: After Sham Lal Sharma takeover the charge of Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control his first slogan was to remove the illegal encroachment on the irrigation land by the people.

But after the passage of time this slogan get vanished from the mind of the minister and his officers as at many places the irrigation land is being encroached by the people for their personal use.

One such case came forward in village Pachel under tehsil Bishnah where about 15 to 20 people has illegally encroaches the one side of the land along with the canal Distributry-14 running about one kilometer in the said village.

Official further said that the people constructed shed for their cattle and small bridges to cross the canal individually besides use it cultivation purposes.

Official maintained that due to the construction of these small bridges at every 15 meters the employees of irrigation department faces difficulties while cleaning the canal.

Sources said that the official in irrigation department is involved in this practice due to which they are not taking any step against them.

This is not only the case of canals of the city but the famous river Tawi is also illegally occupied by the people as the construction near Circular Road, Gujjar Nagar and Old City area on the banks of the Tawi shows the same picture.

Wherein people have illegally constructed buildings on the sides of Tawi but the department showing negligent attitude towards it.

Talking to TNI, Executive Engineer Irrigation Division II, Kuldeep Kumar Mangotra said “I will look into the matter the direct the concern Assistant Executive Engineer of the area to do the needful at the earliest.

Mangotra further said the department is on work to remove all the illegal encroachment on the irrigation.