J&K Govt to demolish 236 illegal structures close to Srinagar’s flood spill channel

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to launch a massive crackdown against the encroachers and remove all 236 illegal structures on the Srinagar’s main flood spill channel “to avert the 2014-like deluge.”

The administration has asked the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department to issue notices to the public for vacating the encroachment “failing which they will be strictly dealt with.”

A document accessed by The Kashmir Monitor revealed that massive encroachment has come up along the flood spill channel from Mehjoor Nagar to Gangbugh in the past.

To ensure that the carrying capacity of the flood spill is increased, various departments have been asked by the administration to remove the encroachments.

“No fresh encroachment has been witnessed by our visiting team. Instead, huge encroachment has been done in the past, which needs to be removed to avoid 2014 like damage,” the document said.

The administration has sought a list of encroachments on flood spill channel in Rambagh, Doodhganga, and Jhelum.

Officials said the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir PK Pole has directed Deputy Commissioner Srinagar and Budgam to jointly demarcate the flood spill channel to notify the structures, which will be removed to increase the volume of the channel.

“A joint demarcation of the flood spill channel shall be conducted by the Revenue and I&FC department,” they said.

The document said the administration will also review the constructions that came up in the area for the last three years.

Superintending Engineer, Hydraulic Circle, Budgam, Siraj-ud-din told The Kashmir Monitor that they have identified 236 structures, which have come up within 20 feet area of the embankment.

“They have been served notices. The revenue department has been given a job to demarcate the area after which we will start demolishing process.  We have seen that there is no encroachment on the water body but all these structures have come up within 20 feet of the embankment, which is prohibited,” he said.

Din said they are reviewing the building permissions issued in the last three years. “The divisional commissioner has ordered to check whether all these buildings have come up after proper NOC from the I&FC department,” he said.