Govt yet to apply for HUDCO loan for Phase-I activities
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 22: Though three years have lapsed since the development of Tawi River Front on the pattern of Sabarmati River Front in Gujarat was planned by the Housing and Urban Development Department yet no time-frame has been fixed so far by the Government for start of work on the ambitious project for want of committed source of funding.
The project was mooted by the PDP-BJP Coalition Government in the year 2015 and thereafter it was decided to rope in Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation for conducting survey and preparation of Detailed Project Report etc. Initially, area under pilot project was proposed to be 2.5 kilometers but later the same was increased to 3.5 kilometers.
After hectic deliberations within the Housing and Urban Development Department, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Jammu Development Authority and Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation in June last year in the presence of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for providing management consultancy services for development of Tawi River Front.
However, when the Detailed Project Report reached Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, the latter suggested bifurcation of DPR into two components—protection of banks of River Tawi in Jammu City and conservation of River Tawi in Jammu City.
As advised by the Water Resources Ministry, the Detailed Project Report for protection of banks of River Tawi with broad salient features of construction of diaphragm walls, lower promenade, retaining wall, embankment construction and pier protection for all the four bridges at an estimated cost of Rs 375.732 crore has been submitted to the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee for model study, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Similarly, the DPR for conservation of River Tawi with broad salient features of construction of outlet structures for interceptors, interceptor drain lane, construction of manholes, terminal sewer pumping station and raising mains at an estimated cost of Rs 31.962 crore has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.
Though nothing has been heard from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest on the DPR submitted by the Jammu Development Authority yet Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee for model study to check the carrying capacity of River Tawi and the modified river sections as per the plan provided by the M/s Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation Limited, sources said while disclosing that National Institute of Hydrology has conveyed to the State Government that it will take minimum 3-4 months for conduct of study.
No doubt the Government has decided to go ahead with the execution of first phase of project covering 1.5 kilometer length downstream of Bikram Chowk Bridge up to 4th Tawi Bridge even without waiting for approval from the Union Ministry of Water Resources and Union Ministry of Environment and Forests but it has failed to get any commitment from any quarter for funding Phase-I which will cost Rs 170 crore, sources said, adding “in such a situation no time-frame can be specified for start of work on the ambitious project”.
The Government has planned to obtain Rs 110 crore loan from HUDCO-a Government of India Enterprise, and meet the balance cost of Rs 60 crore from the resources of Jammu Development Authority on the ground that land to be reclaimed under this stretch after construction in the year 2021 would generate Rs 170 crore for the JDA and the same would be utilized to clear the loan.
However, HUDCO has not been formally approached in this regard so far. “Moreover, nothing can be predicted about HUDCO easily agreeing for grant of loan”, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that for starting work on mega project of Jammu Habitat Centre providing protection works alongside left bank of River Tawi in the stretch downstream of Bikram Chowk Bridge covering Ware House Nehru Market up to 4th Tawi Bridge is important. Moreover, concurrent development of intermediate area failing in development of lake through artificial ponding is also dependent upon work on Phase-I.
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