Jats threaten to cut off supplies
A huge contingent of police and provincial armed constabulary (PAC) has been deployed at Muradnagar regulator of upper Ganga canal, which is crucial for the water supply to the Sonia Vihar water treatment plant in the city. The heavy deployment has been carried out following threats by Jat leaders agitating for reservation in government jobs. In a previous attempt last year, the Jats had managed to “capture” the regulator and turned off the water supply to the city.
Ghaziabad district magistrate Hridesh Kumar told reporters on Saturday that forces have been deployed since Friday night and no one will be allowed to reach the regulator. Senior superintendent of police (Ghaziabad), Raghubir Lal, also visited the site and took stock of the situation.
The jats have been threatening to disrupt normal life in the city by stopping milk, fuel and water supply. They have been staging protests in the outer areas of the city since Friday. However, the agitation has so far not affected supplies.
However, the movement of trains remained affected in Ghaziabad. A large number of local travellers were stranded at the Hapur Railway Station on Saturday morning as rail traffic was held for more than a couple of hours. Train movement has been disrupted since Friday as agitators have been squatting on the tracks. Many trains had to be diverted.
Quite a few students, belonging to the community, also tried to get schools and colleges closed. However, the authorities actively intervened to ensure the on-going board and final examinations.
The Jat leaders have threatened that if their demands are not met, they may target Delhi specifically. A panchayat was likely to be held at Mathura refinery, where a decision on blocking movement of fuel tankers towards Delhi from Agra would be taken.
Post new comment