*Projects gathering dust, liabilities piled up considerably
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 17: Though the Union and State Governments are very liberal in compensating the losses suffered in Kashmir valley and parts of Jammu region, there is no focus at all on extending financial assistance for rebuilding the major public infrastructure damaged due to devastating floods during the past five years in Ladakh. Moreover, the liabilities on account of various works carried out from time to time on the assurance of respective State Governments have remained un-cleared till date as a result of which even the contractors are shying away from extending any further help to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
As very peculiar situation has emerged in the region, which remains cut for about six months with rest of the State, a delegation of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh is going to project grievances before the Governor, N N Vohra tomorrow so that the district is bailed out of the prevailing crisis and during the forthcoming working season permanent restoration works are initiated on war footing basis.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that during the flash floods of August 2010, September 2014 and August 2015, major public infrastructure suffered extensive damage in Leh and due to non-availability of sufficient funds, permanent restoration of the damaged public infrastructure could not be carried out during the past five years.
“Following these devastating flash floods, only meager amount was kept at the disposal of Hill Council for temporary restoration works that too after repeated requests from the elected representatives of the people from the district”, sources further said, adding “in the absence of adequate financial help either from the Central or State Government and due to limited annual district plan, even the public infrastructure which suffered damages during the flash floods of August 2010 could not be permanently restored till date despite lapse of five years”.
Stating that in the absence of permanent restoration works damages are widening with every passing year, sources said, “the major nullahs are causing havoc during every rainfall and resulting into erosion of the agricultural land, which is the main source of livelihood for majority of the population of the district”, adding “there is hardly any village which is not witnessing large scale erosion of agricultural land since August 2010 flash floods”.
It is pertinent to mention here that there are 112 villages in Leh district and besides major nullahs even the rivers are contributing to large scale erosion of agriculture land as every year their banks are getting breached due to strong current of water. Though a Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted for strengthening the embankments of major rivers at least near inhabited areas but the fate of the same is hanging in balance during the past several years, sources informed.
“Even the fate of projects for channelizing the major nullahs has been hanging in balance because of non-serious approach of the State as well as Central Governments”, sources said, adding “the intensity of indifferent attitude towards the Leh district can be gauged from the fact that the funding remained very slow even in respect of those projects of channelizing the nullahs, which were approved under different schemes by the Union Government and this has resulted into piling up of liabilities”.
The liabilities have also piled up in respect of various developmental works carried on the eve of Kalachakra Initiation in July 2014 despite repeated assurance from the successive Governments about release of sufficient funds to clear the same. Moreover, there is huge liability of works carried out under different schemes of NABARD particularly in the bridges sector, sources informed.
As very weird situation has emerged in the district, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh has prepared an Action Plan of Rs 161165.78 lakh for effecting permanent restoration of damaged public infrastructure.
The estimated cost for restoration of head works/irrigation khuls has been worked out at Rs 2231.85 lakh while as for restoration of major nullahs an amount of Rs 30272.71 lakh is required. For restoration of irrigation canals an amount of Rs 230.10 lakh is required, Rs 118483.15 lakh for restoration of damaged motorable road and bridges, Rs 8475.93 lakh for restoration of water supply schemes and Rs 1472.04 lakh for removal of debris from agriculture land.
Since the TAMIER (The Aggregative Macro Economic and Infrastructure rebuilding Plan) for Jammu and Kashmir also provides funds for permanent restoration of flood damaged assets, a delegation of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh headed by its Chief Executive Councilor, Dr Sonam Dava is calling on Governor N N Vohra tomorrow for his intervention in bailing out district of the crisis.
“It is a matter of concern for the LAHDC Leh that while there is complete focus on compensating the losses suffered in Kashmir valley and parts of Jammu region, no attention has yet been paid towards the permanent restoration of damages in Leh district”, sources said.
According to the sources, even the Kargil district has not received required attention of Union and State Governments for permanent restoration of public infrastructure damaged in natural calamities.
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