SHRC Issues Notice To SMC On Plea Regarding Water Logging In Srinagar
Srinagar:The State Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued a notice to Srinagar Municipal Corporation on a petition, seeking directions to the authorities to delineate policy to prevent waterlogging in Srinagar city.
A passenger bus moves through a water-logged road after rains in Srinagar on Thursday, August 1, 2019. KL Image by Bilal Bahadur
Member SHRC Jung Bahadur Singh Jamwal issued the notice Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation and asked the officer to submit reply immediately. The petition, filed by chairman international forum for Justice Human Rights JK Muhammad Ahsaan Untoo, has been ordered to be listed for further consideration on Monday, the petitioner told news agency GNS.
In his plea, he says that during early hours of July 25 due to the rain, all the drainage system in the Srinagar City got chocked and all the major routes more particularly Hari Singh high street, main Lal Chowk, Regal Chowk, Palladium Gali, Polo view, M.A. Road, Kursoo Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, L.D. Hospital, Rainawari, Old Barzulla etc got submerged in rainwater.
The areas house important offices like civil secretariat, High court, divisional commissioner’s office, he said. “Due to waterlogging, havoc was created in the Srinagar city and it seemed that the Srinagar city was in flood,” he said, alleging that authorities failed to carry de-watering despite the fact that weatherman has forecast rains. He said that water logging created problems for the commuters, school-going children. He said that authorities are duty-bound to provide all the facilities to the citizens including proper drainage system.
The petitioner besides seeking policy for the prevention of the water logging has also sought direction to the SMC to inform the Commission about the interim measures taken by the SMC regarding dewatering of the water clogged roads.
