MUSSOORIE: A day after TOI raised the issue of Jincy springs—one of the largest water sources of Mussoorie —being threatened due to the construction of a new road on the Thatyur-Kempty route, the administration has decided to temporarily halt the project and work out a way to change the alignment of the road without damaging the springs.
Assistant engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), Sanjay Nawani said a joint inspection with Jal Sansthan officials would be conducted on Friday to identify the possibilities.
“We will conduct a survey and explore the possibilities for altering the alignment of the road so that it passes below the springs, thereby preventing damage to Jincy springs,” Nawani said.
A team led by tehsildar of Dhanaulti along with officials of PWD and the water department also reached the site on Monday to assess the situation.
A number of villagers from Jincy village reached the spot, too, and expressed concern over the construction of the road which, they claim, has already led to the damage to one of the springs feeding the village.
Taking note of the TOI report, Garhwal commissioner Ravinath Raman said district magistrate Iva Srivastava has been directed to look into the matter. “It was verified that the road construction may damage the water source. I have directed the officials to change the alignment of the road and take all possible steps to ensure that the water source is protected,” he said.
Meanwhile, residents of Mussoorie have welcomed the administration’s decision.
“Jincy is the main source of water for Mussoorie, and no development work should be done at the cost of damaging the water source. We are glad that the administration is looking into this matter,” said Sandeep Sahni, president of Uttarakhand Hotel Association.
Notably, there are seven springs which are collectively referred to as Jincy springs. These springs have a discharge of close to 2.5 million litres of water per day, accounting for nearly 25% of the water being supplied to the town.
