PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Haridwar
At a time when various parts of the State are suffering from damage due to encroachments on and near water bodies, locals in Haridwar rose up against a builder allegedly trying to encroach upon a seasonal nala said to about 100 years old.Residents of Jagjeetpur objected to construction of a wall along a nala for construction of an apartment complex near Matri Sadan Chowk.
The locals got agitated enough to demolish the wall and then stage a demonstration, in addition to submitting a memorandum to the Haridwar district magistrate Mayur Dixit, seeking necessary action.
Local residents Kamal Rajput and Umesh Kumar alleged that the builder was attempting to block an old nala with a wall to build his apartment project.This nala is the sole natural drainage for rainwater in the area. Unplanned construction so far has already resulted in littering in the localities which has increased the health risk for local residents. Localites Sangeeta Devi and Vriksha Chauhan said that the builder was attempting to encroach upon the nala while constructing the apartment complex.
The locals have demanded from the district magistrate that the encroachment should be removed without any delay and that action should be taken against the builder responsible.Other locals pointed out that if action is not taken on time, the situation could become serious for the locals during the rain this year or in the future.
It is pertinent to mention here that encroachment on water bodies has become a common feature across Uttarakhand, contrary to governmental claims on action against encroachments. Observers opine that most of the damage wreaked by disasters in Uttarakhand this year is to encroachments on and near water bodies.
