Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 6: In a new twist to the prestigious project of lifting water from river Chenab to meet the drinking water requirement of Greater Jammu City, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sought environment impact study before sanctioning over Rs 800 crore loan for the scheme. Keeping in view the importance of the project, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has directed the Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) to meet all the guidelines within shortest possible time so that ADB do not turn down the request for loan after completion of desired activities.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the project—“Augmentation of Water Supply to Jammu city from surface water source of River Chenab” was conceived under Jammu and Kashmir Urban Sector Development Investment Program (JKUSDIP) and accordingly Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) as per the Asian Development Bank Policy safeguard document was prepared. According to the IEE, the project was categorized as Category-B considering no major impacts.
However, after analyzing IEE, the ADB Mission team during visit to Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past categorized the project as Category A from Category B, sources said while disclosing that as per ADB Policy, a project is categorized as Category A if it is likely to have significant adverse environmental impacts that are irreversible, diverse or unprecedented. “These impacts may affect an area larger than the sites or facilities subject to physical works as such ADB has sought Environment Impact Assessment report before funding the project”, sources said.
The broad studies, which are required to be conducted under Category A and to seek funding from the ADB, include seasonal aquatic floral and faunal biodiversity study for river water with seasonal effect related to water flow and complete investigation of downstream impact at least up to 40 kilometers from intake on the livelihood of fishermen. Moreover, whether intake of water from present flow will be affected or not on fish production needs to be studied, sources said.
Even studies regarding movement of fish and their breeding related to water intake and cumulative impact due to inflow of water from other source and uptake from river source at least 50 kilometer upstream and downstream of intake besides proper diplomatic dialogue by neutral agency with Pakistan in view of intake being planned on river which flows to Pakistan, sources informed.
In response to a question, they said, “the stand taken by the ADB on funding the project was brought to the notice of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, who keeping in view the importance of the project, has directed for fulfilling all the requirements projected by the ADB within shortest possible time so that nobody turns down the project when approached after getting requisite studies conducted”.
It is pertinent to mention here that project is one of the prestigious and biggest water supply projects of the State with only assured source of water from Chenab to Jammu city as the ground water sources are continuously depleting. The project will cater the purpose of drinking water for more than 2 million souls.
Responding to another query about alternate source of funding, sources said, “as per Government of India Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2006 water supply project is not under the list which required environmental clearance or EIA study”, adding “no environment assessment and clearance is required in case of direct funding from the Central or State Government”.
About other foreign funding agencies, they said, “all the banks have their own policy and they will analyze the impact of the project as per their policy guidelines”.
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