Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 1: Former Minister and senior PDP leader, Naeem Akhtar has stressed for the revival of Irrigation Schemes in district Bandipora in Kashmir.
In a letter flashed to KK Sharma, Advisor to the Governor, Naeem sought his immediate attention towards the extension and revival of the age-old Irrigation Schemes in district Bandipora. Earlier, a delegation hailing from Aloosa in Bandipora met Naeem Akhtar at his residence and asked him to raise the issue pertaining to revival and extension of Resh Kul and Dahgam Kul in Bandipora district with the Governor’s administration.
Assuring the delegation that he has already taken the issue up with the Government, he assured that it will be seriously pursued. Later on, Akhtar wrote a detailed letter to Advisor to Governor highlighting the issues, people in Bandipora are facing.
Akhtar stated that there has been no net addition to age-old irrigation schemes in the district Bandipora except for the water released from the Kishen Ganga project recently. He added that due to depletion of resources and increased use some canals and channels have gone into disuse and suffered neglect and damages. “At the confluence of water from Kishen Ganga and Madhumati, emerges the grand old Zainageer canal that irrigates large parts of Bandipora, Sopore and also some areas of Kupwara. Parallel to this Zainageer canal runs Resh Kul and Dehgham Kul that also irrigate a few villages. Resh kul used to irrigate many more villages than it is able to cater to at present,” reads the letter.
Naeem added that with additional water from Kishen Ganga available to the area, there is scope for revival and extension of Resh Kul that can irrigate the rainfed areas of foothills like Aloosa, Malangam and Kehnusa etc.
“This would also help in employment generation in these villages. It appears that the expansion and extension of the canal would be a very cost-effective project,” Akhtar mentioned in his letter.
Seeking Government’s immediate intervention into the matter, Akhtar stated that the project should be undertaken in the larger interests of the people living in these areas.
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