Rabinder Shekher
River Tawi originates from the Kailash Kund glacier (also known as Kali Kund) in Bhaderwah, which lies in Doda district. Its catchment is delineated by latitude 32°35′-33°5’N and longitude 74°35′-75°45’E. It has a net catchment area of 2168 km² up till the Indian border. Elevation in the catchment varies between 400 and 4000 m.The length of Tawi river is about 141 km. The river in general flows through steep hills on either side excepting the lower reach for about 35 km. The river is about 300 m (980 ft) wide at the bridge in Jammu city. After traversing Jammu city, the river crosses into Pakistan’s Punjab and joins Chenab river. The river holds religious prominence amongst the local populace of Jammu. Often referred to as “Suryaputri” i.e. ‘Daughter of the Sun God’, the river finds mention in the ancient Hindu text of Vishnudharmottara Purana. As per local mythology, the river was brought to the city of Jammu by King Raja Pehar Devta in an effort to treat his sick father.
Tawi Barrage (Artificial Lake): On 1st Sept 2021, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today inaugurated the recommencement of balance Work of Tawi Barrage. The Lt Governor said that recommencement of Tawi Barrage is a significant occasion for Jammu City. The ambitious project, which was hanging fire, will enhance scenic beauty, increase tourism potential of the city of temples and it will also ensure creation of recreational spots for people, he added. He said that with restart/recommencement initiative is a part of the Government’s endeavour to develop urban canters as engines of economic growth and make the cities ecologically and economically sustainable. The new and robust infrastructure will cater to tourists as well the local population, making the citizens partners in the conservation and development of water bodies. The work is now fast completing and one can hope that Jammu is going to get the prestigious barrage (Artificial Lane) very soon. The upcoming project has a long legacy behind its inception to present state and also will have visible and vivid impact on the existing infrastructures which exist on the river today. Although the experts and engineers might have studied all the consequences of arising out of pondage of water. Its an interesting storey to know the whole storey of the project and I hope the write up will add some interesting facts to our knowledge.
While passing through the heart of Jammu city, the Tawi river bifurcates into two separate channels Nikki (Small) and Baddi (Big) Tawi forming a huge river island called Mandal. Originally, there was a plan to create an artificial lake by building two barrages at the mouth of these channels separating Bhagwati Nagar and Belicharana.The main objectives were to facilitate groundwater recharge in Kandi belt, to get 120 cusec irrigation waters for Chatha, Tawi island villages and to make Jammu an independent tourist destination. The project also had components to beautify riverbanks, implement flood control action plan and divert sewage drains polluting Tawi river in Jammu.
Back story: The project was approved in 1986 by Governor Jagmohan with an estimated cost of around Rs. 23 crore. The project saw no progress on ground for the about 20 years or so. It was taken up again during Sh Gulam Nabi Azad rule’s in 2006-08. The foundation stone was laid in Dec 2009 by then CM Omar Abdullah. By that time, it became a central government sponsored project with 90:10 (centre: state) funding ratio and the cost went up to Rs. 69.70 crore. It is also fact that the project site has been changed many times from Nagrota to Nikki Tawi stretch to location between Bahu Fort and Sidhra Bridge in 2008 and then to area covering Bhagwati Nagar to Gujjar Nagar bridge stretch where the work actually started in 2010.
Initially, the work was to be completed in 2 years. But next one year was lost in the drawing, designing and consultancy and the actual work started in July 2010. Since then, the project has faced repeated delays and cost escalation. It first missed July 2012 deadline and subsequently over half a dozen new deadlines including July 2013, December 2013, March 2014, June 2015, March 2016, January 2018, April 2018, December 2018, April 2023 and February 2024. In the past 15 years the government has already spent over Rs. 58.19 crore on the project. Cost has further been increased to about Rs. 130 crore, however the work remained far from completion.
Construction of two Auto-mechanically Operated Gated Barrages (AMOGB) on Nikki and Baddi Tawi channels is one of the important components of Tawi artificial lake project. The barrages in total have 31 gates and are 370 meter long. The gates were planned to be 4 meters wide and 10 meters in height. The barrages would create about 1.5 km long and 600 meters wide water body of 1.1 Thousand acre feet capacity.The Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, Jammu was in charge to implement the plan and Hyderabad based GVR Infra Project Limited was given contract to build it.The project reportedly faced delays due to slow release of funds and interdepartmental issues. The Sept 2014 floods significantly affected the project. Some of the piers of barrage on Nikki Tawi side were damaged by the floods. M/S GVK Infra Limited further slowed down the work. The protection bund of the project was breached in Aug. 2016 floods impacting the progress. Subsequently, the company left the work unfinished in February 2018.Despite protracted notices by authorities and intervention of then Minister , GVK Infra Limited could not resume the work and its contract was terminated in June 2018. However, the company challenged the decision in Madras High Court and the Court in December 2018 vacated the interim injunction regarding termination of contract paying way for retendering of the project.
The artificial lake project was moving at snail’s pace since the beginning. Then the change in central and state governments in 2014-15 reportedly brought changes in the project design.In most interesting development on May 15, 2015 CM in presence of Deputy CM publicly decided to scrap the lake project terming it economically and technically unfeasible. He further stated that the Tawi is different from Chenab and Ravi rivers and the project will be silted up in a year.
However, the Deputy CM approached, Union Water Resources Minister the very next day seeking Central support for the project. Some of retired and serving Government engineers involved in project criticized the CM’s decision stating that after spending 80 percent of budget and completing 90 percent of barrage work, shelving the project was unwise decision. According to them the barrage project was technically viable as it was designed and cleared by IIT Delhi and Central Water Commission (CWC).
In Oct 2017, the then I&FC Minister even stated that remaining work of the project would be completed in four-months. Yet, the project saw no progress all through 2018.In May 2019, the Government ordered a special audit to verify the expenditure and quantify the Tawi barrage project in two weeks. It was also decided to seek advice from IIT Roorkee to complete the barrage work within specified technical parameters. The audit team found several financial and other irregularities in execution of the project and recommended for completion of remaining work to protect the existing structures
in June 2019, Mayor of Jammu Municipal Corp (JMC), was informed in a review meeting that as per a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR), the project would require Rs. 51.57 crore more to get completion excluding Rs. 4.97 crore to restore the flood damages. Interestingly, in July 2019, the Ministry of Tourism while replying to a question in Parliament denied of receiving any proposal from J&K government to revive the Tawi lake project.
In May 2021, the I&FC was given four-month time to submit new DPR for the barrage project after incorporating IIT Roorkee recommendations and suggestions made in river morphology study done by a Portuguese firm Aqualogus under the Jhelum Tawi flood recovery project. It was also asked to invite tender for completion of remaining barrage works. As per reports the IIT Roorkee had suggested to increase the barrage height by three feet. On 1st Sept 2021, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today inaugurated the recommencement of balance Work of Tawi Barrage. The Government in Oct 2021 decided to complete the revised project in 10 months after selecting the contractor. The project cost was also increased to Rs. 131.53 crore including additional grant of Rs. 73.34 crore and already spent Rs. 58.19 crore.
By May 2022, the I&FC floated the barrage work tender twice but failed to award contract due to technical ineligibility and higher rate quoted by bidders. Broadly, the project saw no progress for seven years between 2015 to 2022.
Finally, the P&R Infra Projects was given project work in August 2022 through e-tendering and the company started completing the balance work since September 2022. However, the project has missed the April 2023 deadline and as of Dec 2024 the work has not been completed.
Meanwhile, flood threats on the Tawi barrage project are looming large. The project reportedly faced some damages during May and July 2023 flash flood spells in the river. One can hope now that the project shall be complete and Jammu will get lake soon.
In Sept, 2024 Passing over the 4th. Bridge at Bhagwati Nagar, I turned my eyes towards Kali Mata Bhau Fort to pay my reverence, my mind bobbled with thought of water reservoir and pondage which shall be created when the gates of Barrage will be closed. There are 4 bridges upward from barrage site existing and also additional coming up for Deli-Amritsar-Katra Express corridor. The water storage shall have a great impact on the exiting abutments and piers of the bridges which were designed years back and designers might have no idea of water storage and its effect on the infrastructure at that time. The water will have seepage, uplift buoyancy and eddies current effect. It is hoped that the consultants and experts might have considered all these factors in mind while clearing the balance work and approving the extra additional height of piers of the barrage. It is also high time that PW(R&B) Deptt might have studied the effect and all retrofitting or additional strengthening if required to the bridges have been put in place. Chief Engineer PW(R&B) Deptt Jammu and EIC (Secretary Technical) might have taken suo moto of the happenings and have details of all the meetings in connection with Jammu Barrage. The Ranbir Canal syphons the Tawi River and its designs should also be rechecked for extra load of water pondage. Similar is the case of Water lift scheme at Bahu and Water filtration plant at Sitli, Nagrota Bypass which may get affected due to reservoir. It is still having enough time available with the departments to have structural audit of the infrastructures which may get impact of the water pondage.The author has full confidence that every exercise might have already been completed still sensitization of the events is also responsibility. Let wait and see dream of Jammu coming true till then.
(The author is Superintending Engineer (Retired) Structural Wing DIQC PWD J&K)