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Jammu: Pul Doda, the
highway town that has connected tourist hubs in Jammu and Kashmir
for many years, will soon disappear from the state's map as the
rising Chenab river waters wash it away.
Pul Doda is the last point of the 50 sq km lake made of Chenab
river water that feeds the Baglihar hydro-electric project
downstream.
And as the Chenab water rises -- thanks to rapid melting of snow
in the mountains and heavy rains in the catchment areas -- the
historic town has began submerging in water.
And once the Chenab waters throw a water blanket on the town, Pul
Doda, also known for its historic temples, would be lost forever.
"The waters have risen by four meters and are to rise further,"
Doda Deputy Commissioner Farooq Khan told IANS.
He said the state government had paid the land compensation to
those living in the area while the power project was being
constructed.
While the majority of the population has shifted, about 180
families have resisted eviction, demanding rehabilitation.
"We were promised compensation for the loss of our houses and land
and also rehabilitated somewhere else, but the government is
shying away from fulfilling the second part of the promise," said
Abdul Karim, a resident of the town.
The houses, mosques, temples -- everything is in deep water and
the administration is threatening to take action against those
refusing to leave.
"The administration will not allow these people to stay on and
risk their lives, we will evict them if need be," Farooq Khan
said.
Pul Doda, on Batote-Kishtwar highway, is some 170 km from here,
six km from district headquarters of Doda, 30 km from Bhaerwah --
a tourist hub, and 60 km short of Kishtwar -- the hub of
hydro-electric projects.
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