Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 13: As the Chief Minister does not want mega water supply project of Jammu to be shelved in view of Asian Development Bank (ADB) conditions, the State Government is going to approach Japan Bank of International Commerce for funding this several hundred crore worth project. In getting this vital project cleared by the Japan Bank, the Department of Economic Affairs of the Union Finance Ministry will play key role and it has sought necessary documents from the concerned authorities of Jammu and Kashmir Government.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that the issues concerning this project, whose fate is hanging in balance during the past quite long time, were raised before the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah by the Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma when the former was reviewing the progress on mega projects of Jammu in a high-level meeting few days back.
Although this project was not the part of agenda circulated for the meeting, the PHE Minister desired the project to the discussed keeping in view its importance for Jammu and said that after imposition of some conditions by the Asian Development Bank no further progress could be made in arranging funds for this project, sources said.
Evincing keen interest in the project, Chief Minister received feedback about the hurdles in arranging funds for the project and made it clear that project should not be shelved at all as it envisages meeting water requirement of the projected population of Greater Jammu up to 2020 in the first phase.
After being elaborated by the Planning and Finance Secretaries, Chief Minister directed for vigorously pursuing the project before the Japan Bank of International Commerce for funding on the ground that during the past some years Japan Bank of International Commerce is liberal in funding the projects particularly in India, sources informed, adding Chief Minister informed the meeting that the project was already brought to the notice of Union Finance Ministry for arrangement of funds.
“This project is among several others which have already been projected before the 14th Finance Commission but keeping in the project cost there are grim chances of maximum assistance from the Commission as such it has been found viable to approach Japan Bank of International Commerce for funding the project”, sources said while disclosing that the Department of Economic Affairs of the Union Finance Ministry will play key role in getting the project cleared by Japan Bank and it has sought necessary documents from the concerned authorities of Jammu and Kashmir Government.
It is pertinent to mention here that after hectic exercise spread over a long period, the Asian Development Bank in the month of December last year suddenly put a condition on funding the project and sought environ
“Initially this project was categorized as B but following the visit of ADB team the project was categorized as A on the ground that it is likely to have significant adverse environmental impacts that would be irreversible, diverse and unprecedented”, sources said, adding “to meet the requirement of environment impact study, the concerned authorities are required to conduct broad studies vis-à-vis seasonal aquatic floral and faunal biodiversity”.
Since conducting these studies involves time of two to three years, there was no further progress after ADB decision. However, with the decision to approach Japan Bank of International Commerce, there is a hope that project would become reality.
It is pertinent to mention here that project is one of the prestigious and biggest water supply projects of the State with only assured source of water from Chenab to Jammu city as the ground water sources are continuously depleting. The project will cater the purpose of drinking water for more than 2 million souls.
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