DPRs of all 3 components still under examination
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 21: Contrary to the much hype being created by the politicians as well as bureaucrats, Jammu and Kashmir has yet not received commitment from any quarter in the Central Government on funding for development of River Tawi on Sabarmati River pattern. Moreover, the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of all the three components are still under examination in the concerned departments of the State and nobody in the Government is in a position to specify as to when the work on this ambitious project will actually commence.
The plan of developing River Tawi on the pattern of Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad was mooted by the PDP-BJP Coalition Government in 2015 and thereafter it was decided to rope in Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation for conducting survey and preparation of Detailed Project Report etc, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Initially, area under pilot project was proposed to be 2.5 kilometers but later the same was increased to three kilometers by extending both the ends beyond Fourth Tawi Bridge at Bhagwati Nagar and Gujjar Nagar Bridge.
After hectic deliberations within the Housing and Urban Development Department, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Jammu Development Authority and Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation in June last year in the presence of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for providing management consultancy services for development of Tawi River Front.
Thereafter, project report was formulated and submitted to the Union Ministry of Water Resources for sanction and release of funds. However, the Ministry, after going through the project report, explicitly told the J&K Government that there was no provision for funding such a project and advised the State Government to split the project report and then approach the concerned agencies in the Central Government for funding, sources said.
Now, project has been split into three components—-flood management, river conservation including diversion of nullahs carrying sewage of entire Jammu city and River Front Development from beautification point of view, sources said, adding while the flood management component is under examination in the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the reports about other two components are lying with the Housing and Urban Development Department.
However, J&K Government has yet not received commitment from any quarter in the Central Government about funds for all the three components of the project, sources informed, adding it has been planned that for flood management component Ministry of Water Resources will be requested for funding under any of its relevant scheme.
Similarly, for river conservation component National River Conservation Authority, which functions under Ministry of Environment and Forest, will be requested for funding, sources said, adding for river front development whose cost has been worked out at Rs 360 crore, the Government has planned to approach Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited, a Government of India Enterprise for sanctioning of loan.
“All this clearly establishes that till date there is no commitment from any quarter on funding. However, the politicians are busy in issuing statements that work on the ambitious project will commence shortly”, sources regretted. How the politicians will be able to kick start the work on the project in the absence of funds remains a million dollar question?
“Instead of showing dreams to the people the Government should focus on clearance of the project for funding by the Government of India agencies especially when J&K doesn’t have own resources to meet the cost of any of the component of the project”.
In response to a question, sources said, “all the three components are interlinked with each other and unless there is commitment of funding for each one of them, commencement of work would not be possible”, adding “the foremost requirement to develop River Tawi on Sabarmati pattern would be diversion of nullahs and their connection with the Sewerage Treatment Plant and this is not going to be an easy task”.
When contacted, Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Housing and Urban Development Department, Hirdesh Kumar Singh confirmed that project has been split into three parts so as to facilitate funding from different Government of India agencies. “After completion of reports examination process we will approach Ministry of Water Resources, National River Conservation Authority and HUDCO”, he said while expressing optimism over grant of funds by these agencies in shortest possible time.
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