*CS directs Housing Secy to come up with proper DPR
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 5: Notwith-standing the repeated statements of the Ministers about timely completion of artificial lake on River Tawi, the Government is still groping in dark about giving practical shape to this prestigious project as decision on several significant factors is yet to be taken. Even the source of funding connected activities involving expenditure of Rs 140 crore has yet not been identified.
However, dismayed over the non-seriousness on the part of Housing and Urban Development Department towards critical areas connected with this project, the Chief Secretary has directed the Administrative Secretary to come up with proper Detailed Project Report (DPR) within a period of next one month.
After frequent intervals the Ministers of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government are coming up with statements mentioning that upcoming artificial lake on River Tawi between third and fourth bridges would give required impetus to the tourism related activities in winter capital city but actually they are unaware of the hurdles in the project as such their statements are only aimed at befooling the people, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Elaborating the critical factors, which have yet not been taken seriously by different departments connected with this project, sources said that an amount of Rs 66 crore is required for strengthening of embankments of River Tawi before blocking water for creation of artificial lake but from where these funds would come remains undecided till date.
Similarly, as per the rough estimates an amount of Rs 48 crore is required for taming of 14 major nullahs, which are polluting the River Tawi but no proper Detailed Project Report has yet been prepared by the Housing and Urban Development Department and in each and every official meeting only tentative figures and different plans are shared by those at the helm of affairs in this department, sources informed.
“While some officers are of the saying that taming of nullahs is the solution, the other are of the opinion that this would be a costly affair and small Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are required to be constructed for two-three nullahs in order to check flow of waste to the River Tawi”, sources said.
“Moreover, no permanent solution is in sight till date about the tilted pillar of the barrage”, sources said, adding “it has yet not been decided as to whether this pillar would be straightened by using any technology or a new one is required to be constructed”.
Some of the officers are also of the opinion that connecting all the sewer lines of the Jammu city with the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Bhagwati Nagar after providing house-hold connections would restrict flow of waste in 14 nullahs as such there won’t be requirement of taming these nullahs.
But, this alternative is also not workable in the light of the fact that National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC), which is looking after sewer lines project in the north of Jammu city, is crying for Rs 23 crore to complete the work during the past several months and Government has yet not decided about source of funding.
Stating that artificial lake is not possible without addressing these critical factors, sources said, “all these factors also came up for discussion during the high-level meeting convened by the Chief Secretary, B R Sharma but no final solution could emerge mainly because of failure of the Housing and Urban Development Department to submit formal Detailed Project Report about 14 nullahs”.
It was observed by the Chief Secretary that without addressing the issue of nullahs polluting River Tawi, artificial lake would become source of nuisance instead of attracting the tourists as such he fixed deadline of one month for the Housing and Urban Development Secretary for coming up with proper Detailed Project Report so that source of funding could be decided, sources informed.
“All these issues confronting the artificial lake project clearly indicate that Government is groping in dark about giving it a practical shape”, sources said.
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