Govt says Tawi lake will be completed in 4 months

11 gated-structures of Tawi artificial lake in ready position at Baddi Tawi in Jammu. -Excelsior/Rakesh
11 gated-structures of Tawi artificial lake in ready position at Baddi Tawi in Jammu. -Excelsior/Rakesh

Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Oct 10: Putting all speculations and media-reports to rest regarding shelving of Tawi Artificial Lake Project by Government, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Choudhary today declared that this important Jammu centric project will not be abandoned and is likely to be completed in next four months.
Minister for PHE, I&FC Sham Choudhary while reacting to the media reports said, ” I am the concerned Minister and the Department of Irrigation and Flood Control is directly connected with the construction of Tawi Lake. There are no such plans of the Government to shelve the Tawi Lake Project. It is not wise to abandon a project when 90 % work is complete,” the Minister maintained.
Responding to another question, Sham Choudhary said that the project is very much viable. The company M/s GVR Infra Project Ltd after completion will run it for one year and after imparting training to the department staff will handover to it for operation to the Department. This is clearly mentioned in the agreement with the Company.
He said one pier developed damage due to flood after 2014 and is slightly tilted. It is responsibility of the contracting agency to reconstruct it. All the eleven gated structures on Baddi Tawi side have been raised and all 20 gated structures on Nikki Tawi have been fabricated. It will take about one and half month to raise the same. The pier will also be repaired within in two months. ” If all went well, all the remaining civil and mechanical works will be completed by next 3-4 months,” the Minister said.
Commenting on some statements that this project will be integrated with the new Rs 1000 crore project on the pattern of Sabarmati Project, Sham Choudhary said, ” It will be decided at that point of time when this project will be cleared by the Centre. At present out priority is to complete this project on which we have spent Rs 60 crore. We can not leave this project this way. I have also not decided to order any inquiry into any irregularities or scam on the said project so far, ” I&FC Minister maintained.
A senior engineer connected with the project said that the pace of work on this project went slow after the then Congress Minister Taj Mohiuddin was transferred to Health Department and further after 2014 floods. He said funding was also problem for the agency and moreover, the new Minister also did not show much interest.
During the BJP-PDP regime the pace of work on the project was further reduced and it almost went on grinding halt. Even no repair work was initiated on the damaged site. He said work was launched on this project in 2010 and it was scheduled to be completed in 2013, about 4 months ahead of its given schedule. But unfortunately this project fell victim to political wrangles.
He said the work has been restarted. The Company officials have been recalled. They will operate this barrage for one year as it is turn- key project and based on run of the river scheme. It is not proper to say that project is not viable. The M/S GVR Infra Ltd will run it successfully for one year and it has agreed for any defect liability for next two years. Moreover, an amount of Rs 8 crore of the company is lying with the I&FC Department.
The then Minister for PHE, I&FC Taj Mohiuddin who had conceived this idea to develop artificial lake on river Tawi, when contacted, said that experts from IIT Delhi had prepared the design of this Project which was later okayed by the experts from Central Water Commission, before releasing funds to the tune of Rs 25 crore. He challenged those in BJP raising figures to prove that design is faulty or project is not viable. Taj said only expert people on the subject or any top engineer or consultancy of repute can make such claim citing technical reasons.
Taj further said from Tawi barrage about 700 cusecs of water will be lifted for irrigation purpose moreover, the ground water table will rise in the area with the creation of lake. With the lifting of Tawi water, the irrigation water will reach up to tail end of canals in RS Pura, Ramgarh and Bishnah area. Besides adding to the beauty of the city, it will provide scope for water games and also lower the temperature of the surroundings during hot season.
He claimed that it is based on run of the river pattern and after the water level will come up to gates the water flow will be maintained in the river. In case of flood, the information will be received at Jammu Tawi control room about four to five hours advance from Chenani or Udhampur and the gates will be opened accordingly. So, it is unwise to say that project is not viable, Taj maintained.
Sources in the Department revealed that Department of Irrigation and Flood Control is monitoring the entire work on auto-mechanically operated gated-barrage having length of 370 mts and height of 4 mts with sluice gates across river Tawi, of barrage nearly 130 mts, have been completed.
The sources further revealed that length of barrage on the Nikki Tawi side is about 240 mts. It is only due to change of course by the river from decades. There will be 20 such gates with dimensions of 10 mts width and 4 mts height each. Total length of barrage/ lake will be 1540 mts, up to Gujjar Nagar bridge while the pondage of nearly 0.0011 Million Acre Feet (MAF) water will be created. In case of flood, all the gates will be opened and it will take three and half days to again create pondage up to 4 mts height.
It said that out of the total Rs 70 crore project, Rs 25 crore is Central assistance, Rs 25 crore is awarded by the 13th Finance Commission while rest, Rs 20 crore have been arranged from the State Planning department. The work was started on July 22, 2010 on the project and till date, funds to the tune of Rs 58 crore have been spent.

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