Adil Lateef
SRINAGAR, Oct 10: The work on Tulbul Navigation Project on Wullar Lake in North Kashmir’s Sopore area of Baramulla district is lying abundant since last three decades due to repeated objections by Pakistan under Indus Water Treaty but after Uri attack, the officials hope for resumption of the work on the project despite Pak objections.
The Government proposed the project, called Wullar Barrage by Pakistan and Tulbul Navigation by India, in 1984 on the River Jhelum, at the mouth of Wullar Lake at Sopore. According to the original plan, the barrage was expected to be of 439-feet long and 40-feet wide, and would have a maximum storage capacity of 3, 00,000 million acres feet of water. However, the Pakistan considers construction of Tulbul Navigation as violation of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.
A top official of Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation (JKPDC) said the work on the Tulbul Navigation Project remains abundant due to objections by Pakistan and threats by militants. “No construction work is underway on Tulbul project at present,” he said.
He said that the Wullar Conservation project – nearly 2.5 kilometers from the site of Tulbul Navigation Project – is often being confused with Tulbul Navigation Project which is incorrect. “That project is for the conservation of Wullar and falls in the domain of Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department,” he said.
In 2012, the Wullar Conservation Project was attacked by around 16 militants at Ningli village in Wullar area on August 27. They beat up engineers and workers of the project who were staying at the project site. The militants also blasted-off a portion of the project just to terrorize the engineers and workers. The militants had asked the drivers of earthmovers to dismantle portion of the project with their machinery.
An official of I&FC said that the militants apparently mistook the Conservation project as Tulbul project and targeted it. He said ever since the attack, the work on the said project also got affected and even now it is suspended. Asked in what phase the work was before being suspended, he said: “Nearly 30% of the work was completed and that include of construction of bund as well. But since then there is no headway,” he admitted.
Contrary to the claims of Pakistan, said the officials, the Tulbul Navigation Project doesn’t violate Indus Water Treaty. “It is in the larger interest of both the countries. Given the objections by Pakistan and latest reports of reviewing the Indus Water Treaty, the Central Government should work to make this project ‘treaty compliant’ so that the work is started as quick as possible,” they said.
In view of the militant threat, both Tulbul Navigation Project site and Wullar Conservation site are being guarded and patrolled round-the-clock by Marine Commandos (MARCOS) while the contingents of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are permanently stationed at these sites.
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