Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Jan 21: Rs 600 crore ambitious water supply scheme for Jammu is on anvil and the Summary Appraisal Report (SAR) bold of it is under process.
According to highly placed sources, under the new scheme, the piped water from river Chenab will be brought to Jammu for catering to the needs of the people of the city and its suburban areas.
The scheme is part of Rs 2200 crore multi transit facility J&K’s Urban Investment Programme under which Rs 300 crore were spent on construction of reservoir at Bhagwati Nagar while under second transit fly over is being constructed in Jammu, sources added.
The water supply scheme to Jammu will be constructed under the third transit of the same programme, the sources said, adding 32 kilometer pipeline will be brought from river Chenab at Akhnoor for supplying the water to Jammu city.
Sources said the project will be of two phases and on first phase approximately Rs 600 crore will be incurred. It will cater to the needs of the people of the city up to 2030.
Sources said Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) will be the implementing agency and funds will be provided by Asian Development Bank (ADB)as loan. Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in a high level meeting last year had given his nod for taking up the water supply scheme in hand.
Sources said that ERA is on to complete the Summary Appraisal Report of the Project and 70 percent of the same has been completed so far.
The Agency will submit the SAR to Asian Development Bank by ending next month. The SAR will be followed by Detailed Project Report (DPR). After the SAR is approved by the Bank, the work on the scheme will be started, sources said.
Sources said under SAR complete survey will be held of the area where from the water pipe will run. The project will be of two phases and the second phase will cater to the needs of the people of Jammu city and suburban areas upto 2060. However the funds for the second phase are not available at present and it will be taken up in hand after completion of the first phase project, sources added.
While the survey for land acquisition and seeking of NOC from Pollution Control Board is under process at present, the shifting of locations have also been identified, sources said.
The people having their structures along the bank of canal have been asked to shift the same as early as possible.
Sources said out of Rs 600 crore Rs 50 to 60 crore will be spent on land acquisition and shifting of structures etc. However the land for second phase of the project will also be acquired during the first phase in view of price escalation.
Sources said that from 300 to 400 kanals of land will be acquired at Gura Patan near Akhnoor for construction of a large filtration plant and the pipes will be laid along the Ranbir canal. It will be distributed in city areas from Muthi, sources added.
It may be recalled that State Government had earlier in nineties envisaged a water supply scheme from Chenab river to Jammu. The formalities for the Project were completed and the Project report was also submitted to Central Government for approval at that time but the same fell through for want of funds.
However to cater to the growing needs of the people of Jammu city and its suburban areas due to increasing population, the Government last year gave its nod to construction of the ambitious water supply scheme for Jammu under Urban Investment Programme.
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