Thousands of people left vulnerable as procedural delays continue
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 2: More than six years after the completion of the morphological study of River Tawi, the much-hyped flood mitigation and comprehensive river management project remains trapped in bureaucratic files. The Detailed Project Report (DPR), which was expected to lay the foundation for robust flood protection measures, is still awaiting clearance from the Central Water Commission (CWC).
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In the absence of concrete action, thousands of residents along the banks of River Tawi continue to bear the brunt of floods every monsoon. Fertile soil is washed away, riverbanks erode dangerously and houses are repeatedly put at risk. Families are left with no option but to rebuild their lives each year, often falling into debt in the process.
What makes the inaction more glaring is that the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) titled “Inhabitants of Barjala and Khandwal Versus J&K and Others” since 2018, issued multiple directions to the authorities concerned. However, these directives have largely remained unimplemented.
The morphological study was carried out by Portugal-based consultancy firm M/s Aqualogus Oiltech Pvt Ltd under the aegis of the Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (JKERA). Despite the study being completed in the year 2018, the DPR continues to gather dust, delaying a project that is directly linked to the safety and survival of flood-prone villages, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
The consultant submitted the draft Detailed Project Report on February 5, 2023—several years after the completion of the morphological study. The report was subsequently reviewed by an Expert Committee comprising officials of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, which raised a number of queries necessitating major changes.
“Accordingly, the consultant was asked to revise the document and align the DPR with the requirements of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department. In response, significant adjustments were made to the engineering design in certain areas to address and mitigate the social impact of the proposed flood mitigation and comprehensive river management project,” sources said.
When contacted, the officials of JKERA who had commissioned the morphological study shifted responsibility to the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, stating, “The authorities of the department might be aware of the latest status of the project.” On the other hand, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department maintained, “We are only a facilitating agency. Our role was limited to assisting JKERA in submitting the project to the Central Water Commission for appraisal and approval”.
In a recent affidavit submitted to the High Court in the PIL titled “Inhabitants of Barjala and Khandwal Versus J&K and Others”, the administration stated: “The project is very huge and involves different agencies of J&K as well as Central Government. The project is under active consideration of the Government and after approval from the Central Water Commission, it shall be projected for funding provision”.
“All this clearly indicates that morphological study, conducted more than six years ago to facilitate the execution of the flood mitigation and comprehensive river management project, has failed to yield the desired results due to lengthy procedural formalities and bureaucratic slackness”, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that a morphological study examines the physical form, structure and behavior of a river, including its channels, banks, bed profile, sediment transport and surrounding floodplains. Morphological studies help predict how a river will respond to natural events like heavy rainfall and assist in designing flood protection structures such as levees, embankments and retention basins.
“A morphological study is not a piece of academic research. It was conducted to design interventions that could save lives and property. If even after more than six years the DPR has not been cleared, it shows that flood protection is not a priority for policymakers,” sources said, adding “if the DPR for River Tawi flood mitigation is not cleared and implemented immediately, the river will remain a ticking time bomb, swelling with fury every monsoon while officials trade files and pass the buck”.
They warned that climate change has intensified rainfall patterns, making floods more frequent and unpredictable. “The delay not only escalates project costs but also multiplies risks. The longer the administration waits, the more vulnerable the people of numerous areas along the banks of River Tawi become”, they added.
Residents living along the banks of River Tawi have pinned their hopes on the High Court to break the cycle of inaction. People expect the court to issue stern directions to the authorities and ensure strict compliance so that the long-pending flood mitigation and comprehensive river management project finally moves from files to the field.
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