In the year 2015 the Coalition Government mooted the plan of developing the Tawi front along the lines of the development of the front of River Sabarmati in Gujarat. A team was deputed to study how the Sabarmati River Development Corporation was functioning and maintaining the cleanliness and recreational aspect of the enterprise. The Housing and Urban Development Department got busy with the study of the scheme and preparation of a Detailed Project Report which was forwarded to the Union Ministry of Water Resources etc. However, before forwarding the DPR to the Union Ministry, hectic activity ensues at the Housing and Urban Development Department, which culminated in signing a MoU with the 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. Initially, the project had proposed 2.5 kilometres but later on the same was increased to 3.5 kilometres.
However, when the DPR of River Tawi Front Development reached the Union Water Ministry, the latter returned the proposal with clear suggestions that it needed to be bifurcated into two parts. Part one would deal with the protection of the bank of the river and the second part would deal with conservation of the waters of the river. In the light of the bifurcation of the project suggested by the Union Ministry of Water Resource, the Detailed Project Report for protection of banks of River Tawi with broad salient features of construction of diaphragm walls, lower promenade, retaining wall, embankment construction and pier protection for all the four bridges at an estimated cost of Rs 375.732 crore. This has been submitted to the concerned ministry in New Delhi.
Similarly, the DPR for conservation of River Tawi with broad salient features of construction of outlet structures for interceptors, interceptor drain lane, and construction of manholes, terminal sewer pumping station and raising mains at an estimated cost of Rs 31.962 crore has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest. The State Government became impatient owing to no response from the Union Ministry for Environ Protection in regard to the DPR for water conservation, and proceeded in the matter and managed to sign with National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee a MoU for model study to check the carrying capacity of River Tawi and the modified river sections as per the plan provided by the M/s Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation Limited, sources. The National Institute of Hydrology has conveyed to the State Government expressed it will take minimum 3-4 months for completing the study. Without waiting for the approval of the Central Government, the State Government has gone with the project on its own. It hopes to raise funds sufficient for the execution of the project of water conservation. Its intention is to raise Rs 110 crore loan from HUDCO-a Government of India Enterprise, and meet the balance cost of Rs 60 crore from the resources of Jammu Development Authority on the ground that land to be reclaimed under this stretch after construction in the year 2021 would generate Rs 170 crore for the JDA and the same would be utilized to clear the loan. This seems very fickle. We are not sure whether the HUDCO would be willing to sanction the loan. What will be their conditions and whether the State would be in a position to accept those conditions. This is all imaginary. The reality is that the scheme has to be supported by the Union Ministry of Water Resources.
The point is that the DPRs of both the schemes have been submitted o the Union Ministry of Water Resources. It is better to send them reminders to expedite the matter and also at the same time not only removing their doubts if any but complying fully with the views and opinions expressed. The people of Jammu would not be really interested in the point counter point policy on the issue of preservation of water resources of the State and various opinions expressed by the Union Ministry. They want that the waters of Tawi should be conserved, its banks secured against floods and beautification brought to them keeping the Sabarmati model in sight particularly when the DPR presented to the Union Ministry of Water Resources has been the model. We hope the State Government will not lose patience and will correspond vigorously with the Union Ministry of Water Resource to find a solution to the problem.
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