Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 18: Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, former minister and MLA Amirakadal, chaired a meeting to review the progress of mechanical dredging aimed at increasing the carrying capacity of river Jhelum and its flood spill channels particularly of those crossing through Amirakadal constituency.
Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, Mohammad Haneef Lone participated in the meeting that was also attended by Lateef Ahmad Malik Superintending Engineer PHE/I&FC and the concerned executive engineers of PHE and I&FC.
While recalling the horrors of September 2014 deluge, Bukhari observed the people at the helm of affairs cannot behave as mute spectators watching the miseries of people with a thick skin. “I don’t want to run away like my predecessor who left his electorate to face the wrath of calamity in September 2014. It could have been precedence in the past but the present Government is alive to its responsibilities and cannot behave as a mute spectator while watching the imminent dangers,” he remarked.
Expressing serious concern over the tardy progress in mechanical dredging of River Jhelum, the former minister asked the officers to take immediate steps to get the project executed in a time bound manner.
“The lackadaisical attitude of the company that has been allotted the dredging contract has virtually put the life of the people of Srinagar in jeopardy. The present Government is keen to see the timely completion of the project and has also shown her concern in this regard. Now the department must act and get the desired results,” Bukhari stressed on I&FC officers.
Emphasizing on strengthening of embankments of River Jhelum at various places in Amirakadal including Kursoo Rajbagh, Athwajan, Pantha Chowk and Lasjan sides, Bukhari also asked the officer to carry out dredging of Doodganga Naullah from Lal Nagar Chanapora upto Baghat Barzulla via Rambagh. He directed the officer to immediately start the construction work on Check Rawalpora Foot Bridge over spill channel of Doodganga that has already been allotted by the department.
He also asked the officers for construction of both way approaches for foot-bridge at Bank Colony Rawalpora and the protection work involved for prevention of any mishap.
The MLA Amirakadal asked the officers of I&FC and PHE to make joint efforts in repair of the flood hit 16 inch water supply pipelines from Zero Bridge upto Amirakadal along the Bund besides formulation of a detailed project report for parapet walling of irrigation canal from Bank Colony Rawalpora upto LD Colony via Astanpora and Old Rawalpora.
The officers were also directed for completion of local drainage at Iqbal Colony Aramwari Bund besides establishment of Park/Jinaz Gah on Bund near Masjid Madina Aramwari.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel