Pulwama residents demand complete restoration of Dhobi Kol
Complete restoration under active consideration of government, says official
Pulwama: The residents of Pulwama town in south Kashmir demanded complete restoration of a famous canal after a part of the water canal flowing through the heart of Pulwama town was restored last year.
The famous ‘Dhoeb Koal ’ (washer men’s stream) that flows through the old bus stand Pulwama to Murran Chowk had been turned into a filthy drain.
The locals said the stream used to be the source of income for nearly four dozen households engaged in the laundry business, but with the passage of time, it has been turned into a trash bin.
Showkat Ahmad, a local, said that for the last thirty years, they have been demanding the cleaning of the canal and restoring it to its original shape “but no one was taking this issue seriously”.
“The pathetic condition of the stream is visible to all of us. With the stream rarely being cleaned, it looks like a waste dump site and the authorities were turning a blind eye to it,” he said.
Owais, another youth said the shopkeepers on the bank of the stream are also responsible for its deterioration.
“They have been dumping waste in the stream,” he alleged.
Javid Ahmad, a shopkeeper, said authorities have cleaned part of the canal. “They can’t come on a daily basis to clean it. It is our duty to develop a civic sense among the public. People must avoid throwing polythene and other things in the canal,” he said.
He said that just part of the canal near Rajpora chowk has been cleaned but there is need that this whole canal must be cleaned to return its lost glory.
They thanked Deputy Commissioner Pulwama for taking this initiative of cleaning part of the canal while requesting him to take steps so that whole canal can be cleaned.
The locals said the government must take strict action against those involved in throwing waste items in the canal. Their identification is easy now as CCTV cameras are already installed in and outside the shops and other establishments along the canal, they said
An official of the irrigation and flood control department said that under CAPEX budget this project was approved and most filthy part near Rajpora was chosen for cleaning and concreting that was completed last year.
He said that pending work will be taken up soon as a proposal of complete restoration of the canal is under active consideration of the government while requested the public to avoid throwing garbage and other items in the canal.
He added that a comprehensive plan like the installation of filtration gates and robust cleanliness mechanism is being put in place to keep the canal clean.
