Development of River Tawi front on Sabarmati pattern
JDA’s tendering process for small stretch fails to yield results
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 28: Union Ministry of Water Resources and River Development has yet not approved the project relating to development of River Tawi front on the pattern of Sabarmati River as State administration is dilly-dallying on submission of requisite No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) during the past 22 months.
Moreover, Jammu Development Authority’s repeated tenders for development of small stretch have failed to yield desirable results despite lapse of 10 months as a result of which uncertainty is prevailing over start of work on the ambitious project.
The plan of developing River Tawi front on the pattern of Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad was mooted by the PDP-BJP Coalition Government in 2015 and thereafter it was decided to rope in Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation for conducting survey and preparation of Detailed Project Report etc.
This exercise took unreasonable time and finally the Detailed Project Report was submitted to the Union Ministry of Water Resources and River Development through Central Water Commission on January 4, 2017 for approval and release of funds.
After few months, the Union Ministry asked the Housing and Urban Development Department of the State to submit No Objection Certificate (NOC) of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department on the ground that the latter had also approached the Ministry for release of funds for flood mitigation measures in River Tawi, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
It took more than one year to the Irrigation and Flood Control Department to give its NOC to the Jammu Development Authority and finally the same was submitted to the Water Resources Ministry with the letter mentioning that the area for which funds have been sought by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department was not reflected in the DPR prepared by the Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation.
In the month of April this year, the Union Ministry asked the Housing and Urban Development Department to submit the NOC of Forest, Ecology and Environment Department also so as to avoid any confusion at later stage, sources informed.
“For several months the Forest Department preferred to remain mum on the request of giving NOC and following intervention of senior officers it started examining its record and finally communicated that forest land comes under the River Tawi Front Development Project”, they said, adding “there is mismatch between the record of the Forest and Revenue Departments vis-a-vis land which is being claimed as property of the Forest Department”.
Due to lack of coordination between State Government departments on furnishing NOCs, the Union Water Resources Ministry has yet not cleared the project for funding, sources said while expressing inability to specify time-frame for approval to the project, which otherwise is of immense importance from tourism promotion point of view.
Moreover, Jammu Development Authority has failed to make any progress on its plan of getting the work started on 1.5 kilometre out of total 5.5 kilometre stretch through own resources or by generating loan, sources informed.
The JDA has floated tenders three times but this exercise has failed to yield desirable results despite lapse of 10 months. “In response to first two tenders the participants quoted higher rates as such it was decided not to proceed further”, sources said.
“The technical evaluation of the participants in third tender is going on and thereafter financial bids will be put to scrutiny and if the quoted rates are found reasonable only then third tender will be taken to logical conclusion”, they further said while expressing inability to specify time-frame for selection of any company for execution of work on 1.5 kilometre stretch.
Due to these problems, the fate of the project, which is of immense importance, is hanging in balance during the past three years.
The major components of the project are river protection works, water treatment from nullahs feeding River Tawi, development of reclaimed land parcels into flower gardens and bio-diversity parks etc, tourists related facilities like coffee shops, library, book shops, food coats and restaurants etc and commercial development like shopping malls, banquets and pavilions.
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