‘Project implementation gained momentum in past 2.5 years’
By: Ibni Maqbool
Srinagar: The World Bank (WB) has upgraded the rating of implementation progress of Rs 1500 crore Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP) to “moderately satisfactory”.
In its latest report, the multilateral funding institution has upgraded the overall implementation progress of the project to “moderately satisfactory”.
In its previous reports, the WB has rated the implementation progress on the project as “moderately unsatisfactory.”
The project was approved by the World Bank in June 2015 and became effective in April 2016 with closing date of June 30, 2020 that was extended twice by one year each to June 30, 2022.
Documents in possession of The Precious Kashmir reveal that the WB has stated that the project implementation has gained momentum in several activities in the past 2.5 years, including provision of livelihood recovery support, school response equipment, and urban drainage schemes and flood management machinery.
“The project has faced cascading challenges since its beginning which led to substantial implementation lags for the first two and a half years, from which the project has not fully recovered. The challenges include insufficient capacities of the implementing agencies to manage the project; the volatile security situation, social unrest, political transition, and disrupted telecommunications in the project areas; low supply of qualified contractors; and COVID-19 related constraints,” reads the report.
According to the report, the project was restructured in June 2020 and funds were reallocated to allow the purchasing of emergency medical supplies and equipment to reinforce the government’s response to the COVID-19 emergency.
“Under this allocation, critical medical equipment and supplies have been deployed at district hospitals, oxygen generation plants are being installed, 68 critical care ambulances with advanced life support have been procured to strengthen the 108-Ambulance service, and laboratories, operations theater and ICUs are being upgraded,” it further states.
Under the project, the J&K government is undertaking reconstruction of infrastructure hit by the 2014 devastating floods, and strengthening its disaster management capabilities.
