Flood mitigation plan for River Tawi
Directions issued for furnishing latest progress
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 23: A Division Bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh comprising Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice M A Chowdhary has expressed serious concern over vague status report regarding flood mitigation plan for River Tawi and issued directions for furnishing detailed information on all the relevant factors by next date of hearing.
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When the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) titled “Inhabitants of Villages Barjala and Khandwal” came up for hearing, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed appearing for the petitioners submitted that during the pendency of the PIL the Government of J&K on the directions and suggestions made by Central Water Commission (CWC) decided to conduct morphology study of River Tawi.
Accordingly, Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP) of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Department signed agreement with M/s Aqualogus Oiltech (JV) on June 29, 2018 for conduct of morphology study.
He drew the attention of DB towards status report filed by the Manager of Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project dated March 28, 2022 wherein it was divulged that the final report after incorporating comments and suggestions from reviewers has been completed and approved by the expert committee.
It was also mentioned that final detailed report will be completed by June 30, 2023 and even tendered documents will be completed by this date.
“What happened thereafter it not known and during every monsoon season threat of floods looms large over the inhabitants of Barjala, Khandwal and adjoining villages”, Advocate Ahmed said.
After hearing Advocate S S Ahmed with Advocates Rahul Raina and Supriya Chouhan for the PIL, DB headed by Chief Justice observed, “it is contended in the application filed by the petitioners that the sub-projects include conducting river morphology studies of Jhelum Basin, Tawi Basin, Multi Hazard Risk Assessment and setting up of State Emergency Operations Centre”.
Pointing towards the status report filed by Project Manager JTFRP dated March 28, 2022, the DB said, “in the status report filed by S S Nanda, Senior Additional Advocate General on behalf of the Divisional Commissioner Jammu, there is no mention that whether the same has been approved or nor and if not approved what is the reason for non-approval and if approved what is the action taken”.
While expressing serious concern over the vague report in the open court, the DB granted time to Senior AAG for filing report by or before next date of hearing.
As it was brought to the notice of the court that Tawi River Front Development Project has been assigned to the Jammu Smart City Limited, the DB directed the counsel for the Smart City Limited to file the latest progress report disclosing the competition period of the project by or before next date of hearing.
It is pertinent to mention here that studies on the morphology of Tawi River has been completed but respondents have not taken effective steps for redressal of the grievances of the petitioners.
The PIL is pending since June 2016 and almost seven years have elapsed but till date the damage control exercise has not been done by any of the departments, the counsels for the PIL submitted before the DB during the hearing.
“Except the business of laying crates, there is no headway in the matter and crates get washed away every year and the petitioners and other inhabitants of the area keep on looking towards the respondents who are non-serious and insensitive to the grievances of the petitioners”, they added.
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