*Approved schemes too reeling under slow funding
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 6: Official apathy is responsible for massive devastation during the cloudburst and flash floods in Leh district during the past some days as several flood protection projects, which were prepared and submitted after the worst ever natural calamity of 2010, have been gathering dust in the official files of the Union Ministry of Water Resources and State Government failed to pursue the Centre for their timely clearance.
Had these projects been cleared in time and work on the same was started immediately after 2010 devastation, the magnitude of damages during the recent heavy rainfall could have been very less as flash floods were witnessed in all those nullahs, which were projected for immediate flood protection works about five years back.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that soon after worst ever natural calamity of 2010, the Leh district administration and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council got prepared Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of 11 flood protection works particularly of all the major nullahs flowing along the inhabited areas of the district.
Since the State Government had no resources to fund these projects, all the DPRs were forwarded to the Union Ministry of Water Resources for funding under its different schemes. However, the Union Ministry sanctioned only five projects and left the fate of 6 others to be decided at the later stage, sources informed.
“It is astonishing that neither the Union Water Resources Ministry showed any interest in clearing the remaining projects nor the concerned authorities of the State Government bothered to vociferously pursue the issue with the Centre”, they said, adding “due to official apathy both at the Union and State Government levels the fate of these 6 projects is still hanging in balance”.
According to the sources, even the flood protection works along the Saboo, Phyang, Nimoo, Ney Basgo and Igoo nullahs have not been completed despite lapse of several years mainly because of slow funding from the Centre and failure of the State Government to pursue the matter with the Union Government.
About the projects, which could not see the light of the day till date because of non-clearance by the Union Government, sources said that nullahs at Leh, Skyurbuchan, Shey and Taroo were projected for immediate flood protection works after 2010 devastation but no work could be carried out for want of funding. Had these projects been cleared and work started on the same soon after 2010 natural calamity, the magnitude of damages during the recent rains could have been very less, sources said.
According to the sources, all these nullahs were in spate during the recent rains and in the absence of flood protection works caused massive damages in the habitations situated along their banks.
Member Parliament from Ladakh, Thupstan Chhewang, when contacted, confirmed that several projects prepared after 2010 floods have yet not been cleared by the Union Government. “The District Administration and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council have submitted the preliminary report of damages due to latest rainfall and while pursuing Centre for release of special funds the issue of pending DPRs would also be taken up vociferously”, he added.
Highlighting the importance of these projects in preventing damages to the public and private properties, the Member Parliament said, “during the past some years the Leh district is witnessing unusual changes in the weather conditions”, adding “the glaciers are melting fast because of rise in temperature and incessant rains have become a new phenomenon as such flood protection projects are required to be cleared on war footing basis so as to save the lives of the people”.
He admitted that damages could have been less during recent rains had these projects been cleared at the time of their submission.
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