Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 11: Chairman Legislative Council, Haji Anayat Ali today directed the Government to replace old pipes to ensure supply of safe drinking water to people of the State.
Intervening during a question raised by BJP member Pradeep Sharma in the Upper House today, the Chairman asked for arranging adequate funds to replace the old PHE pipes in the areas where from demands for the same are pouring in. He said not only in Jammu or Srinagar, the old water pipes and distribution system in the towns like Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Udhampur, Kargil, Anantnag, Baramulla etc is needed to be replaced by keeping special funds so as to provide safe drinking water to the people.
The Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was also present in the House besides Minister for PHE, I&FC Sham Lal Choudhary.
Responding to the question, Minister for PHE informed the House that residents of Poonch town are being provided sufficient quantity of drinking water through three water supply schemes.
He said to further augment the supply, Government has proposed one more scheme under LIC loan assistance. He further informed that three Government tankers are also supplying water to meet the requirement in water stressed areas.
Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo and Yashpal Sharma also raised supplementary questions seeking improvement of water supply in their respective areas.
Responding to another question of Congress member Mohd Muzaffar Parray, the Minister said that the Government has floated Expression of Interest (EoI) for ‘consultancy services for conducting surveys, studies, formulation of comprehensive FM plan and preparation of Detailed Project Report for flood management works along river Jehlum and its tributaries’.
He said the EoI invited through project management unit of Jehlum Tawi Flood Recovery Project also include detailed survey of Haigam Bird Sanctuary. He further informed that the Government is formulating a DPR for dredging, shoal clearance of Ningli nallah which would also be proposed under the Integrated Flood Management Programme of river Jehlum Phase-II.
The Minister said that the diversion of Balkhul and Ningli flood channel is not possible as it follows natural course. However, he said construction of Gabion Weirs on the twin streams are being proposed in the Integrated Flood Management Programme Phase-II for solving the silt problems, prevent rise of water level and floods during rainy season.
Meanwhile, Minister for Horticulture, Basharat Bukhari who intervened during the reply also stressed on the need to expedite the desilting of Balkhul and Ningli nallah. He informed that the Flood Control Department has demarcated the land along Ningli nallah and allowed the people to extract the silt. He informed that same modus operandi would be adopted in Balkhul.
Replying to supplementary question of Ghulam Nabi Monga, Sham Choudhary informed that out of the target of 16 lakh cubic mt, I&FC Department has dredged 11 lakh cubic meter from river Jehlum at Srinagar and Baramulla. He said the remaining target of dredging would be achieved by March 2018.
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