Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 17: Putting a lid on the ongoing controversy over purported closure of Tawi lake project in Jammu city, the Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Choudhary Sukhnandan today made it clear that the project was very much feasible and had not been shelved.
“However, some technical blunders have been committed in execution of the project by the previous Government, which had resorted to Loot Khasoot only and an inquiry would be initiated against the persons responsible for the same,” he said while addressing a hurriedly called press conference at the BJP headquarters, here today.
While elaborating, Mr Sukhnandan said that the allied works of the lake project were not taken up before construction of the 32 barrage pillars with two meters radius each, which squeezed flow of water during floods and thus severely damaged the fourth bridge. “Had the allied work of channelizing Tawi properly been taken up before construction of the pillars and quality was maintained, the floods would have not caused damage,” he explained and held the previous Government responsible for the faulty work.
He stressed that there was no question of shelving the lake project, on which Rs 55 crores have been spent so far and around 85 percent work is completed. “Last Thursday, I met the Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti and discussed with her various water supply schemes, including the Tawi lake project and there is no question of shelving the same,” he maintained. The Minister further said that Tawi lake project would not only beautify the Jammu city and promote tourism here but will also help for irrigation purpose by supplying the stored water to agricultural fields. Claiming that work on the project was on, the Minister, however, refused to set a deadline for completion of the same by citing the difficulties in executing work during rainy season.
Replying to a query on Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed’s statement, which led to controversy over the status of lake project, the BJP Minister sought to clarify that an apparent confusion in understanding the technical mistakes could have been reason for the same. “Recently I had met the Chief Minister and discussed with him the technical mistakes committed in executing the project and the latter may have pointed towards the same during the press conference but there is no question of shelving the project, “he said.
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