Sixteen years ago the Ujh Multipurpose Project was announced by the then Government. Detailed Project Report (DPR) was initiated in consultation with the Central Water Commission. The pre-feasibility report of project prepared by M/s WAPCOS had estimated a potential of generating 280 Mega Watts of power and providing irrigation facilities to 16743 hectares of agriculture land. However, because of failure of the successive Governments to pay serious attention towards this project the process of preparation of DPR got stretched beyond imagination.
In 2006, the Union Cabinet declared Ujh Multipurpose Project a National Water Resources Project with the assurance that 90% cost of irrigation and drinking water component would be provided as Central Grant and rest of the 10% was to be borne by the State Government from its own resources. The 90:10 ratio was special favor to the J&K State taking into account that it could not by its own resources undertake the critical project that would transform the dry lands into arable lands. Following submission of DPR of the project to the Central Water Commission (CWC) in September 2013 the process of conducting various studies including Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and site specific seismic assessment was initiated in consultation with Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC).
To cut it short by 2013 almost all the formalities and technicalities that needed to be completed prior to beginning the actual spadework, had been completed and this process took nearly 12 years. The more surprising thing about this project is that after 2013, when all hurdles had been overcome, the State Government’s executing agencies just started dilly-dallying over the matter and year after year nothing was done to show that the Government was really interested in this multipurpose project.
The more disappointing thing about it is that even the Coalition Government of PDP and BJP has been walking along the same policy of dilly-dallying as was adopted by the previous Governments. Though the law makers raised the issue in session after session of the Assembly yet there was never a convincing reply from the Government.
Is not this discrimination with Jammu region? If it is not, what else can it be called? The project would have brought water to the dry lands in the districts of Kathua and Samba and thus ensure the livelihood of thousands of families of peasants in these districts. The project was estimated to generate nearly 280 MW of power which would have brought electricity to a large section of population in Jammu. People naturally feel that they are being discriminated against particularly when there is no problem of funding of the project. The State Government should shun lethargy and bias and take up the project for final clearance and the spadework should begin without further loss of time.
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