Akhnoor, Khour residents living along Chenab fear for lives

Jammu, Aug 15: The people living in villages adjoining Chenab banks in Jourian area of Akhnoor and Khour sub-division of Jammu district have urged the UT administration to channelise water of river, which has changed its course and has emerged as a serious threat to the villages, particularly from Indri and Gair villages.

“We urge the government to ensure that water is channelised, Otherwise, it will very soon start devouring villages that are on the right bank of the river. The immediate threat is to Indri and Gair villages,” a press statement quoting Youth Congress president Akhnoor constituency Ganga Sagar Singh Manhas and other villagers said.

They said that heavy rainfall in the upper reaches this month led to washing away a portion of protective bund leaving the hundreds of acres of fertile land at the verge of inundation in village Indri of Akhnoor area.

“The portion of kachcha bund, which was constructed nearly 40 years back, around the right bank of Chenab washed away. The river has breached and started flowing dangerously close to the village, so we need immediate protective measures to save the fertile agricultural land as the situation is grim,” Indri residents, including Om Parkash, said.

Former Panch Sham Singh said, “We appeal to the government for immediate measures to save the fertile agricultural land located on the right bank of the Chenab. Paddy crops worth lakhs of rupees must be saved from getting destroyed.”

Seeking necessary support, a villager Abhinash Bhagat joined by Manhas alleged that hundreds of acres of the land in villages including Dalpat Bhour, Bhandwal, Sitarala, Garkhal etc., of Akhnoor constituency were inundated by the flooded Chenab this monsoon season but compensation to the farmers was still awaited.

Manhas said, “Recently the Sub-Divisional Magistrate Khour Anil Kumar visited Indri, the residents informed him that villages were threatened by rising water levels and prime land was at the verge of being washed away, he issued directions to the Flood Control department to initiate necessary steps. Following it, the Executive Engineer visited the site and protective work was initiated.”

However, they reiterated their demand for channelising the river water.