There has been a spurt of illegal constructions going on in the city ever since a lockdown to contain Covid-19 was enforced in Kashmir valley. There has been a decreased vigilantism from the SMC and taking undue advantage of it many illegal constructions have come across the length and breadth of the city.
If it goes on at this pace the city would soon be a concrete Jungle. That too an unplanned one. Who are these people illegally building whatever they want and wherever they want right under the nose of the authorities? These people have such influential connections that even after a complaint is verbally filed by the neighbours or by the people affected due to the illegal construction no action is taken against the accused.
It is only for the undisguised commoners that the dismantling squad of the SMC swoops down on. For a man without any influence even changing a window of his home entails a lot of permissions and a complex process of getting permission. How come then that these people openly build houses, shops, shopping complexes etc. openly in broad daylight without slightest fear of the authorities?
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There seems to be some kind of a nexus. It clearly is not good for the planned growth of the city. We will have more water clogging, more congestion of the roads and more damage due to ordinary fires. Besides, there would be pressure on the Power Development Department (PDD) and PHE (Public Health engineering) to provide power and water supply to the ever mushrooming structures. A lot of these constructions are coming up either in the designated Flood channel or marshy area which again should set alarm bells ringing.
The higher ups in the UT administration should adopt a hardline approach against the ubiquitous illegal constructions in the city. It is time to act tough against anyone found in constructing any structure illegally irrespective of their race, religion, geography and political influence.
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