Excelsior Correspodnent
SRINAGAR, Sept 6: The river Jhelum and Flood spill channel in Kashmir valley have lost around 50 percent water carrying capacity over the decades and the Government has failed to start work to restore their capacity even as one year has elapsed since last year’s devastating floods.
The flood threat looms large over Kashmir valley and after one year not much has changed on the ground as the carrying capacity of the river, rivulets, flood channel and other water bodies has not increased so far.
Officials say Jhelum river that had carrying capacity of 45,000 cusecs of water and it has reduced to around 25,000 cusecs. And the flood spill channel that had around 15,000 cusecs has now around 5-6,000 cusecs.
The Government is yet to start the dredging and other works on river Jhelum, its tributaries and flood spill channel so as to prevent floods. Early this year, due to reduced carrying capacity of the water bodies, Kashmir valley witnessed multiple floods forcing people to flee from the low lying areas.
However, Minister for Flood Control and Irrigation, Sukhnandhan Kumar, told Excelsior that the Government is starting the restoration work of the Jhelum and flood channel soon to increase the carrying capacity. He said that once the project that was submitted to Central Government and has been approved at the cost of Rs 399.29 Crore is complete they will have a carrying capacity of 60,000 cusecs.
Government had submitted comprehensive project on priority works of river Jhelum at an estimated cost of Rs 401 crore and the Government has approved the project for an amount of Rs 399.29 crore. The State Government is expecting funds during the current financial year and it has earmarked Rs 151.50 crore for current year.
The Minister said that the Government has invited dredging tender worth Rs 39 Crore plus the company that will get the tender has to pay for the extracted material to the tune of Rs 20 Crore towards Government.
“We have invited tender on dredging component of the project from the State sector funds and three companies have applied. The allotment will be done within 2-3 days and the work on the project will be started’, he said.
Kumar said that Jhelum dredging and protection works are estimated at the cost of Rs 108 crore and flood channel dredging will be done at the estimated cost of Rs 117 Crore and Government has to pay Rs 142 crore compensation to land owners as well.
The Minister said that one of the causes of last year’s deluge was encroachment of water bodies. He said that the department is removing encroachments and has so far demolished 540 structures and 562 boundary walls from river Jhelum and its tributaries and has cut over 3.5 lakh trees. He said that the department is removing shoal from Jhelum and Flood channel till the dredging is started so as to increase their water carrying capacity.
Kumar said that Government is formulating a project for dredging the Wullar lake that has lost it water carrying capacity. He said that there is backflow of water from Wullar during floods and in order to prevent it, its carrying capacity will also be increased.
Follow our WhatsApp channel