Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Feb 22: The State Government is formulating a comprehensive plan to construct a series of check dams in Jammu, particularly in Kandi belt for conservation of water and recharging the surrounding areas.
According to the authoritative sources, each division of Irrigation and Flood Control Department has been directed to submit ten plans in this regard to the higher authorities for preparing Detailed Project Report, which will be further submitted to the Centre for funding of the same.
The Centre is learned to have agreed in principal for funding of the project and asked the State Government to furnish the detailed report soon so that work may be started as early as possible on the projects.
Under the plan, sources elaborated, check dams will be constructed on the big nullahs in Jammu region for harvesting of rain water, which flow down to different rivers and ultimately reaches Pakistan thus have been doing no good to people of the State so far.
The conservation of water will recharge the surrounding areas and increase the sub-soil water level thus facilitating the Government to augment drinking water supply there besides converting barren land into green fields in Kandi belt, sources explained.
Besides, sources further informed the Excelsior, the comprehensive scheme for water harvesting also includes the plan for revival of the existing check dams that were virtually abandoned by the Government owing to different reasons.
The Government is taking up revival of these abandoned check dams on priority and all the stakeholders, particularly the people whose land comes under these projects, are being taken into confidence for the purpose, sources said.
Pertinent to mention that under the Central Government Scheme, construction of a few check dams in Kathua, Samba and other Kandi areas in Jammu province was started earlier but the work was abandoned midway due to technical, financial and other reasons.
When contacted, the Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma confirmed that a comprehensive plan for construction of new check dams and revival of the existing ones was being formulated for harvesting the rain water and avoid erosion of soil in Kandi belt of Jammu province.
“I have discussed the project with the Central Government, which assured that funding for the same was no problem,” he added.
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