Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, May 22: The artificial lake project worth Rs 70 crore on river Tawi in Jammu city is unlikely to be completed even in next over one year despite having jumped three deadlines, as the UEED and Flood Control Departments have yet to start work on diversion of 17 city nallahs and raising embankments along both banks of the river.
This prestigious city lake project has already jumped July 2013, December 2013 and March 2014 targets and is likely to jump yet another deadline of July 2014. The officials connected with the project claim that this full project is unlikely to be completed even in next one year as UEED has yet to start work on diversion of 15 dirty nallahs from old Jammu city side and two from Gorkha Nagar and Rajiv Nagar side on the other bank towards Bahu Fort.
The delay behind completion is also being projected by the Irrigation and Flood Control authorities in view paucity of funds and long spell of rains from January onwards this year. Breaching of protection bund in river Tawi during flood in August was yet another excuse given by the agency officials. They said due to this reason, the work could not be executed on the project for over two months.
A senior official connected with the project disclosed that all the gated structures of the Tawi lake are almost ready on both sides and hardly 5 % civil works are left. He disclosed that by ending June all the civil works will be completed. Nearly 15 to 20% mechanical works are also yet to be executed and at least one month time is needed from the start of launching gates by the Mechanical wing of the department. He said the commissioning of this prestigious lake project is unlikely even by March 2015.
Referring to the other left out works the official said even after the completion, the pondage will not be created in the river as still nearly 15 dirty city nallahs with filth are directly flowing into the river from old city side including Panjtirthi, Jullaka Mohalla, Pir Mitha, Gujjar Nagar etc and these large drains will create filth and dirt prone lake giving foul smell, until these nallahs are diverted as planned under the project. He disclosed that Rs 23.10 crore project for diversion of these 15 nallahs has been submitted to the Government by UEED but funds have not been made available for the same and work could not be started. By all means, this project is again going to be delayed by at least one year more, he maintained.
In November 2012, the then Minister In-charge PHE, I&FC Taj Mohi-ud-Din had claimed that all civil works on this lake project will be completed in four months ahead of schedule of July 2013 but with non-release of funds, the work is going on snails pace. Some work on gated structures on Nikki Tawi side is still incomplete. Flood Control authorities launched a little work on raising embankments towards Ware House and hardly 20 % work has been done. Majority of this work is also going on snails pace.
While all the eleven gated-structures along Waddi Tawi (Bhagwati Nagar side) of the river have been completed, out of the total 20 such gated structures on Nikki Tawi (Beli Charana side), 18 are now ready while work on the remaining two structures is going on. The Department of Irrigation and Flood Control (J&K) is monitoring the entire work on the project, the construction of auto-mechanically operated gated-barrage having length of 370 mts and height of 4 mts with sluice gates across river Tawi, 900 meters down stream of the main Tawi bridge with RCC base, spill way, gang way guide bunds etc for creation of pondage up to Gujjar Nagar bridge, is being executed by Hyderabad based M/s GVR Infra Project Ltd company.
The sources in the department said that due to stoppage of flow of funds, the pace of work on the project was also affected. Due to non-availability of funds, the agency carried work at snails pace while it was earlier being executed on double shift basis. It said all the eleven gated structures on Baddi Tawi side, having total length of barrage nearly 130 mts, have been completed. The process of mechanical works which include, fitting of gates and its operation system with pulleys will be started after the water level recedes in the river. All the gates have been fabricated at the site and these will be operated upon manually as well as automatically. The work of launching of gates will be started shortly on Baddi Tawi side first. Now only on Nikki Tawi side, about 5 % civil work is left.
Nearly, Rs 51 crore have been spent on this Rs 70 cr project by the agency so far. Under 13th Finance Commission no funds were received during this year. Under 13th FC the State had to get Rs 25 crore but just Rs 6.25 crore was received during first year. Nothing was provided this year. Rs 18.75 crore was still balance amount yet to received for the project.
Another senior official said that length of barrage on the Nikki Tawi side is more, about 240 mts. There are twenty such gates with dimensions of 10 mts width and 4 mts height each. Nearly, sixteen gated structures have been completed. Total length of barrage/ lake will be 1540 mts, up to Gujjar Nagar bridge while the pondage of nearly 0.0011 Million Acre Feet (MAF) water will be created. In case of flood, all the gates will be opened and it will take three and half days to again create pondage up to 4 mts height, he added.
He further disclosed that this Rs 70 crore project is coming up with Rs 25 crore Central assistance, Rs 25 crore is awarded by the 13th Finance Commission while rest, Rs 20 crore has been arranged from the State Planning Department. The work was started on July 22, 2010 on the project and till date, funds to the tune of nearly Rs 51 crore have been spent on it. Out of the Rs 25 cr 13th FC share, hardly Rs 6.25 crore has been received so far while rest of the amount is pending. When that share of over Rs 19 crore is received from Centre, the progress will further improve.
Chief Engineer UEED Hanief Lone disclosed that his Executive Engineer Rajinder Sharma was directly connected with sewerage side of this project. He said earlier Rs 23.10 cr project had been formulated but it has now been revised with estimated cost of Rs 34. 85 crore. This project has been submitted to the Centre. As and when the funds are released, the work of diverting 17 Jammu city nallahs would be started. He said that these nallahs would not be allowed to flow into the lake. They will go down the lake and meet river some where near Gole Gujral. He disclosed that at least one year time is required for the completion of this task.
Apart from this, Rs 32 crore are being spent on raising strong embankments along the both sides the pondage (lake) and the work has been undertake by the Flood Control Department. Hardly 300 mt embankment on Ware House side has been raised while entire work is still pending. At least one year is expected to be taken to finish the job provided free flow of funds is ensured by the department.
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