Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar, Sep 03: The authorities are all set to start phase-two of dredging of river Jhelum in a bid to ward of flood threat and expand the carrying capacity of the main flood spill channels.
“Phase two of the dredging will start from Baramulla to downstream and other flood spill channels in Srinagar and in between soon,” Chief engineer irrigation and flood control department Kashmir said.
He said work will soon start on the dredging of the Main River and its arteries across Kashmir including Srinagar. “The expert agency is all set to resume its work soon”.
Sources said the dredging process got hit after outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
The need for jhelum dredging was felt owing to the flood threat as last winter Kashmir received record snowfall and due to the rising temperatures snow has started melting at a great pace.
Pertinently, J&K government planned to complete dredging and de-silting of River Jhelum by March 2019. However, the deadline could not be met owing to varied reasons.
Now the officials claim that Phase one stands completed, phase two of dredging and de-silting is all set to start in a week or so.
Pertinently, phase 1 cost was Rs 399.29 cr and it was done under flood recovery project taken up under Prime Ministers Development Package (PMDP).
With regard to dredging of River Jhelum in various stretches, Rs 73 crore were spent on flood protection works on River Jehlum and vulnerable spots from Khannabal to Baramulla and Rs 20.96 crore were spent on other project sub-heads.
Under phase-I, works pertaining to flood protection, anti-erosion, widening of the river, raising of embankments, re-sectioning, de-silting and dredging of the river under the flood management plan, were taken up, sources said.
“Second phase of dredging amounting to Rs 1600 Cr will start very soon for which survey is under process through web cost sponsored by the government,” sources said.(KINS)
Work on Rs 1600 Cr dredging project of Jehlum to start soon: CE
