Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 12: Advisor to Governor, Khursheed Ganai, today directed the officials to remove every obstacle in restoring the glory of river Jhelum in the Valley.
He said this while taking stock of the progress of dredging work in river Jhelum. Ganai directed the officials of Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) to have zero tolerance towards encroachment on the river.
“The State cannot afford to have another catastrophe like 2014 floods. For that, the Government has to take strong measures to protect the people,” he said.
Ganai inspected various dredging spots during his visit to Shivpora and Pampore. He was accompanied by Chief Engineer of I&FC, Javed Jaffar.
He asked the I&FC officers to expedite the work of dredging on river Jhelum and the Flood Spill Channel so that the carrying capacity of river Jhelum and spill over channel is increased to prevent floods in future.
Meanwhile, Advisor directed the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department to ensure adequate supply of clean drinking water to public across Jammu and Kashmir.
During a meeting he directed Chief Engineer, PHE Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, to ensure that all the water treatment plants, filtration plants, reservoirs and storage tanks are hygienic and functioning properly.
Chief Engineer informed the Advisor that the department regularly tests water samples taken from various parts of the Valley in 49 labs to ensure that only clean potable water is supplied to people.
The Advisor further directed the Chief Engineer to install biometric attendance in the PHE offices in order to ensure punctuality in the department.
He also asked the Chief Engineer to conduct regular tours and field inspections in order to get firsthand appraisal about the schemes being implemented by the department.
Meanwhile, several deputations called on Khursheed Ahmad Ganai to apprise him about their grievances.
People put forth their demands pertaining to flood relief, power and water supply, besides other basic amenities. The Advisor gave them a patient hearing and asked the concerned officers to take adequate measure for time bound redressal of these issues.
The deputations include the members of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI).
The KCCI delegation requested the Advisor for more funds to be made available so that every trader is compensated and businesses are revived.
The delegation members urged the Government to hold mega road shows or events in various cities of the country to attract tourists to the state. They also urged the Government that artisans should be allowed all the benefits including debt relief on the Artisans Credit Card in the same manner as is allowed on Kissan Credit Card.
The KCCI delegation also urged Mr Ganai to ensure installation of street lights along tourist spots of the Valley and ensure uninterrupted power supply to these areas.
The Advisor gave them a patient hearing and said that their concerns would be addressed and assured them that he will communicate their concerns and demands to the Governor.
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