Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 18: Apart from extending relief to Jammu and Kashmir to rebuild infrastructure, the Government of India was likely to take some projects directly in its own hands for re-construction especially those concerned with the Central Ministries like Power, Surface Transport, Petroleum and Natural Gas etc.
Already the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Power, Petroleum and Surface Transport have deputed their teams to different parts of flood ravaged Jammu and Kashmir to supervise work on restoration of projects and rebuilding of infrastructure damaged extensively in recent rains and floods, official sources told the Excelsior.
They said the teams of three to four different Ministries of the Union Government were conducting extensive surveys of damage caused to infrastructure in different sectors and the projects they could take in hands to help State Government in rebuilding them at the earliest especially before the onset of harsh winter in December.
“The Government of India had reports that only few months of working season were left in most parts of Jammu and Kashmir when the harsh winter would set in and majority of infrastructure was required to be repaired, replaced or rebuild within the next couple of months. It was in view of this context, that the Central teams have already reached the State for survey of the works they could take in hands to help the State Government,” sources said, adding the Central teams would confine themselves to the Government of India projects but could extend help in the State projects also, if asked for.
Sources said the Government of India teams proposed to restore the damaged infrastructure at the earliest to help the people hit hard in recent rains and floods. The Centre could also take construction of some of the infrastructure in its hands like major roads washed away in the floods. In this connection, Union Minister for Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari proposed to visit Jammu and Kashmir in the next few days to take assessment of total roads damaged-extensively and partially.
Sources said the Union Ministry of Power has already initiated several measures to restore the heavily damaged power transmission lines and the distribution system in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of floods in Jammu and Kashmir.
Union Minister of State for Power (Independent Charge) Piyush Goyal has directed the teams to stay put in Jammu and Kashmir and try to restore damaged infrastructure at the earlier to provide electricity to the people.
Sources said Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has also deputed teams to Jammu and Kashmir to monitor supplies of petrol, diesel and LPG, which had run into acute shortage in the Kashmir Valley due to closure of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway for 12 consecutive days.
Pradhan has asked the officials of his Ministry to rush supplies of diesel, petrol and LPG in adequate quantity to overcome the shortage. However, sources admitted that despite re-opening of the National Highway it could still take a fortnight to overcome shortage of these items in the entire Valley.
“Arrangements for additional bulk LPG supply to feed these Bottling Plants at Jammu and for trucks to transport cylinders from Jammu to Srinagar have been made,” sources said.
They said two 2,400 GPM John Deere pumps sent by ONGC are running efficiently in two shifts in Rajbagh area and four pumps (2 of capacity 1,800 LPM and another two of capacity 275 LPM) sent from ONGC, Dehradun are running round the clock at Badami Bagh area in Srinagar.
On power supply front, 14 of the 17 damaged 33/11-KV Sub Stations of Jammu region have been restored which are feeding important areas, including Beli Gulaba, Malhouri, Mandi, MES and Rajouri.
Efforts are on to restore the remaining three at the earliest, sources said.
In Srinagar area, 132 KV Sub Station at Bemina, which is very vital for power supply to the valley, was restored two days ago. Of the 36 33/11 KV Sub Stations which were damaged due to the floods, many have been restored.
These distribution sub stations feed–Peerbagh, Silk Factory, Badami Bagh and Karan Nagar.
In the valley, power demand up to 704 MV has been restored, almost 88 per cent of the normal load. In order to augment efforts for faster restoration of power, states–Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, and many private agencies responded to the call by Power Secretary and offered their help by supplying power distribution materials.
Disruption of electricity was severe in most of the areas of the state, which witnessed disastrous floods in its history of last six decades.
There was a huge damage of high tension, low tension lines, transformers and Sub Stations which were either submerged or washed away.
MoS Power Piyush Goyal has asked senior officers of the power sector CPSUs to rush to the State immediately and assess the situation.
The Ministry also authorized the Power Grid, its nodal agency to assist Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department (JKPDD) in restoration of transmission lines and distribution system.
Emergency Restoration System (ERS) has also been deployed by Power Grid for four 132 KV lines in Jammu region and for one 132 KV line in Srinagar region.
For distribution lines and substations, a team of Power Grid along with JKPDD has started working simultaneously. Control rooms were opened at Ministry of Power, Delhi and sub-control rooms at Power Grid offices at Gurgaon, Jammu and Wagoora.
Subsequently, teams were mobilized to identify power disrupted areas with priorities for faster restoration of damaged power lines.
The Minister also gave directions to dispatch 10,000 solar lamps with chargers, immediately for distribution in flood affected areas. Coal India Limited has also been asked to dispatch heavy duty de-watering pumps to the affected areas, sources said.
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