TNN
Jan
9, 2013, 01.33PM IST
VARANASI:
Divisional commissioner, Chanchal Kumar Tiwari strictly instructed
the officials for the removal of encroachments from ponds and kunds
and other public places.
During
the divisional review meeting on Monday, the commissioner said there
should be no illegal encroachment on water bodies and public places
and asked the officials to remove the identified encroachments on
priority. He instructed the district magistrates to conduct drives
for this purpose and take stern action against the illegal
encroachers. He also directed them to ensure video and still
photography before and after the removal of encroachments. He added
that the physical verification of the removed encroachments should
not be done by the officials below the ranks of SDM and CO.
Though
the commissioner expressed his concern over the illegal encroachments
on water bodies and asked for removal, it is a known fact that in
Varanasi, the ponds and historical kunds are disappearing or facing
the threat of land sharks. Even the city development plan prepared
under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)
reveals that the upcoming developments in the north and south of the
city close to river Varuna and Asi are insensitive to the catchment
area of the water bodies. The city also has several shallow ponds/
Kunds, some of which are of religious significance. However, most of
these ponds are in a state of poor maintenance and face the threat of
drying up or reclamation due to upcoming settlements in the
periphery.
The
Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) conducted a survey in 2007 to
check the status of ponds in the city. The survey revealed that there
were 79 ponds and kunds in the records of VMC out of which 25 had
been filled for some other use. However, another lot of 39 ponds are
in other revenue records but missing from the records of VMC. Not
only land sharks but the government departments were also responsible
for the disappearance of water bodies. Even the Varanasi Development
Authority (VDA) itself filled a pond in Kazzakpura to develop a
residential colony, railway tracks were laid after filling the ponds
in Ashapur and Baraipur. The Matakund pond in Lallapura was filled to
construct a police out post. The water bodies in areas like Khajuri,
Lalpur Anaula, Shivpur, Jaitpura and Lahartara met the same fate.
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2013 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved.
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