Srinagar:Governor N.N. Vohra on Sunday directed Irrigation & Flood Control Department and Divisional Administration, Kashmir to take up cleanliness drive of river Jhelum, while the dredging process was on.

Touring ‘Flood Spill Channel’ at Padshahi, Shivpora in summer capital Srinagar, the governor directed officials to ensure that the ongoing dredging works on the river Jhelum are carried out speedily and completed well in time.

The governor was informed that the mechanical degrading at the site would benefit people a great deal. The officials said that it has a capacity of dredging out the mass of 200 meter cube per hour to 250.The governor directed officials after dredging works were over, the departments should maintain the standard of the Jhelum banks buy going for its cleanliness and beautification . He also asked officials to carry out the cleanliness drives across various districts which are part of river Jhelum. He said that the some funds under Swatch Bharat Mission (SBM) should be kept under for the purpose of the launching cleanliness drives on the river banks across the region.

The Governor was accompanied by Khurshid Ganai, Advisor to the Governor, Asgar Hassan Samoon, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Farooq Ahmad Lone, SSP Srinagar, Amit Kumar during the inspection visit to the area.

The Governor was informed by Chief Engineer (I&FC) Javid Jaffar, that the cumulative dredging work done in the Jhelum river till date was to the tune of 6,10,000 cum. Similarly, dredging has been completed to the tune of 92,000 cum in the Flood Spill Channel.

He also informed that the cumulative target set by the department was more than 8,00,000 cum to be achieved by the end of March 2016. This is over and above the dredging works which would be executed through the Kolkata based Reach Dredgers which has been tasked with mechanical dredging of 7,00,000 cum in the Srinagar stretch and 9,15,000 cum in Baramulla stretch. The Chief Engineer explained that these works would continue round the year irrespective of the changes in water levels in the river.

He elaborated that identification of sites and construction of dykes as well as mobilization of Dredgers has already been initiated at the sites of Bell mouth of Flood Spill Channel at Outfall Channel Baramulla. The Governor expressed regret and serious concern over the unexplainable delay in the commencement of mechanical dredging work and directed that the actual dredging works on these two sites must now be started without any further delay.
It may be recalled that under the Prime Minister’s Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Programme 2015, the DPR for “Priority Works- Comprehensive Plan for Flood Management Works on Jhelum-Phase-1” costing Rs. 399.29 crore has been carved out of the main project for “Comprehensive Plan for Flood Management Works on Jhelum” costing Rs. 2083 crores. The main components of this project include re-sectioning and land acquisition to restore the width of the Flood Spill Channel, especially at Shariefabad and Naidkhai, strengthening of embankments at particularly vulnerable spots of river Jhelum and urgent dredging works in the river Jhelum and Flood spill Channel. The works inspected by the Governor today are part of the urgent dredging works initiated under this project.

Pertinently the Governor in his earlier direction has directed officials
To go for the time-bound completion of all emergent flood protection works in Mission mode by constituting a Group headed by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to immediately deal with all matters connected with land acquisition, removal of encroachments.