It is fairly known that the irrigation needs of Jammu province are usually met by a network of irrigation canals in the Rivers Chenab , Jehlum and Ravi Basin, hence Jal Shakti Department of Jammu and Kashmir is looking after this vital aspect concerning the sensitive agricultural sector for both Rabbi and Kharif crops in Jammu . The department must , therefore, see to it that projects started for creating irrigation infrastructure were completed in time as also maintaining them with a provision of creating more irrigation potential. Having all said that, if we look into the fate of Rs.60 crore costing Diversion channel for irrigation and water supply scheme for water storage in Wajnooh Nallah in Khokial village in Kathua district, the fact that it continues to be hanging in balance can easily be ascertained.
Though the project was started in the year 2009 for purposes of irrigation of vast chunks of non- irrigated land besides providing drinking water to people and was scheduled to be completed in three years, it continues to be in a state of complete uncertainty. Work for whatever reasons stopped in between is to be restarted but reportedly only when funds are provided though the project was started under the GOI scheme of Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme coupled with state plan of the UT Government. Government must keep up its promise of arranging farmers’ income getting doubled by 2022 and as a tangible step towards that end , arrange to release the funds to restart the work on the project as early as possible. UT Government too needs to take initiative in this regard and ensure that the held up irrigation projects were completed at the earliest.
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