KL News Network
Srinagar
Due to political interference and the callous attitude of the government, the internal administration in Lakes and Waterways Development Authority has been completely paralyzed. From past 9 months the LAWDA is headless while the post of Executive Engineer Mechanical Division LAWDA is also vacant from past 8 months.
Surprisingly, the government has appointed a non-technical official as Executive Engineer Hydraulic Wing of Lake Division 1st, a move that is resented by the locals. “The present Executive Engineer Hydraulic Wing is non-technical and was attached with Srinagar Municipal Corporation before he was posted here. The sorry state of affairs can be gauged by this fact that despite admitting that a non-technical officer is managing the affairs of Hydraulic Wing, government is doing nothing to appoint the right person,” the locals said.
Commissioner Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department Hardesh Kumar told CNS that they have already sent a requisition to Commissioner Secretary PHE asking him to appoint an expert and technical officer as Executive Engineer Hydraulic Wing of Lake Division 1st. However, Commissioner Secretary PHE says that no such requisition has reached to his office.
According to locals it is not only the Lake Division 1st that has been suffering due to official apathy but no work is going on in Mechanical Division of LAWDA as well. “From past 9 months the post of Executive Engineer Mechanical Division is vacant. This has badly affected the deweeding process of the world famous Dal Lake,” the locals said adding that while crores of rupees are being spent in the name of Dal Lake conservation, obnoxious weeds and harmful water ferns have engulfed the whole lake, speeding up deterioration of the once famed water body.
Locals added that LAWDA is headless from past 9 months. Vice Chairman Srinagar Development Authority has been given additional charge of VC LAWDA. “You can’t take measures in absence of permanent Vice Chairman. You can’t test the purity of the water in absence of technical head of Hydraulic Wing and you can’t stop illegal encroachments in absence of the Mechanical head,” they added.
The government according to locals has also violated the court orders by continuing the services of Executive Engineer Civil wing of Lake Division 2nd. “The Executive Engineer Civil Lake Division 2nd is heading the department from past 8 years while as per court orders, government can’t appoint any official at any place for more than 3 years,” the locals said and alleged that the messy affairs inside LAWDA is taking heavy toll on the world famed water body. (CNS)
