Jhelum Flood Mitigation funds still unspent?
2014 floods caused massive destruction across Kashmir and some parts of Jammu division as well. The Govt of India provided huge funding to J&K for flood mitigation in a phased manner which continues even now. Soon after the September 8th 2014 floods a three members group headed by Chairman, Central Water Commission-CWC was constituted on the instruction of Prime Minister Modi. The Ministry of Water Resources Govt of India on September 18th 2014 issued orders to conduct an in-depth study and analysis of the unprecedented floods in J&K. This study and detailed analysis was aimed at formulation of a detailed action plan to overcome the future flood threats in Kashmir valley especially Jhelum basin. The Chairperson Central Water Commission-CWS, Commissioner Indus and the Director National Institute of Hydrology Roorkee recommended immediate measures , short term measures and long term measures for flood mitigation in Jhelum and its tributaries.
Immediate measures
Under the immediate measures J&K Govt through Irrigation and Flood Control department plugged all the breaches and restored more than 3000 spots with temporary restoration. More than 1200 spots were restored with permanent restoration. An amount of Rs. 172 crores and Rs 153 crores were released respectively under state disaster response fund- SDRF. The Irrigation and Flood Control Department under administrative control of Jal Shakti Department also executed many flood restoration works throughout the Kashmir valley. This included Re-sectioning/Channelization of River/ Nallahs, Crate Protection Works, Strengthening/ Raising of embankments of both Jhelum & its tributaries for which the funds were released by Jal Shakti Department J&K Govt under Spot Treatment and M.H-4711 Flood Restoration involving a cost of Rs. 98.5348 crores and Rs. 182 crores respectively.
Short term measures
Jal Shakti Department J&K Govt under short term measures conceived this work in two phases i.e., Phase-I & Phase-II. It was decided that until the long-term flood mitigation measures would get conceived and approved, a Priority Flood Management Project-PFMP was prepared by the experts for taking up important works. The main aim of these works was to remove all the immediate and major bottlenecks in the Jhelum river along with the Flood Spill Channel. This was aimed at providing relief from low intensity to moderate floods in future. A detailed project report -DPR of Rs 399 crores was approved by Govt of India through Central Water Commission -CWC under the “Priority Works – Comprehensive Plan for Flood Management Works on Jhelum - Phase-I. This was approved in the year 2015-16 and was funded under Prime Ministers Development Programme-PMDP. This project has almost been completed but needs a third party inspection.
Flood mitigation Phase II
The Central Water Commission-CWC recommended that the discharge carrying capacity of Jhelum river was proposed to be increased to 60,000 cusec at Sangam Anantnag and 61110 Cusec at Ningli-Tarzoo in Baramulla. Accordingly Jal Shakti Department JK Govt during the execution of the Phase-I, started the preparations of formulation for the DPR for Phase-II by carrying out the Mathematical Model Studies-MMS of Jhelum river through a reputed institution Central Water Power Research Station-CWPRS, Pune. The recommendations of the CWPRS, Pune in their detailed study report formed the basis of the formulation of the detailed project report-DPR for Phase-II.
The DPR of “Comprehensive Flood Management works on River Jhelum & its tributaries- Phase-II” was prepared at an estimated cost of more than Rs 5411 crores. This DPR was submitted to the Department of Water Resources -DoWR under the Ministry of Jal Shakti Govt of India in January 2019 for approval. On the recommendations of CWC, the DPR for Phase-II was divided into two parts, and the Part-A of the project for around Rs 1783 crores was submitted before the Central Water Commission -CWC in September 2019. The Commission accordingly approved Part-A of the project at an estimated cost of Rs 1623.43 crore in the 143rd Technical Advisory Committee meeting of the Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Jal Shakti which was held in New Delhi on December 9th 2019. It was also cleared by the 12th Investment Clearance Committee of Department of Water Resources-Ministry of Jal Shakti on February 19th 2020, at September 2019 price level. Subsequently the J&K Finance Department and the Administrative Council-AC gave its concurrence for providing state share and “in-principle” approval of the project Part-A respectively.
Flood Management Border Area Programme-FMBAP
A comprehensive and detailed plan for Flood Management Works on River Jhelum & its Tributaries Phase-II (Part A) for Rs 1623 Crores was included under Flood Management Project (FMP) component of Flood Management Border Area Programme (FMBAP) for the period 2021-26 by the Inter-ministerial Committee in the first meeting at New Delhi which was held in March 2022 with 90:10 funding pattern (Centre & UT ratio)
The funds to the tune of Rs. 114 Crores have been sanctioned by Government of India in year 2022 as Ist instalment and have been already released to the J&K Finance Department. The J&K Administrative Council chaired by LG Manoj Sinha on July 6th 2023 approved the project titled : “Comprehensive Flood Management of River Jhelum and its Tributaries-Phase-II (Part-A)” at an estimated cost of Rs 1623 crores and directed Jal Shakti Department to expedite preparation of tenders and spend an amount of Rs 114 crores which was already released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India in May, 2022 to J&K Govt under central assistance.
The Lt Governor Manoj Sinha gave his approval as well for the construction of hydraulic gates (regulators) at the entry point of Hokersar wetland in Srinagar-Budgam area for which Rs 29 crores (aprox) were spent but rest of the works are not taken up and even the tenders are not issued? These lapses and delays need to be taken seriously by the Govt. If the money has already come from the Govt of India why are there unnecessary delays ?
Wetlands choking in Kashmir
Around 5 years back this author had petitioned before the National Green Tribunal -NGT for conservation of Hokersar and other wetlands like Wullar and Kreenchu Chandhara in Pampore. There are several speaking orders issued by NGT from time to time and this case had a national impact as NGT gave orders for restoration and protection of around 5000 other wetlands in country ref NGT case titled: Raja Muzaffar Bhat V/S Govt of J&K and others -OA 351/2019. The Wullar lake was being used as garbage dumping site not only by people but also by the Municipal Council Bandipora who have been penalized by JK Pollution Control Committee under Polluters Pays Principle. They tried to get relief from NGT and then Supreme Court but the Apex court also upheld the orders of PCC and NGT and asked MC Bandipora to pay Rs 60 lakhs compensation money. The Hokersar is getting all the silt and trash from Doodh Ganga which needs a lot of work to be done to counter it. The illegal mining in Doodh Ganga during the last 3 years brought huge silt into Hokersar which needs to be cleared. In addition huge trash gates need to be set up so that solid waste doesn’t enter Hokersar. The liquid waste coming from localities around Doodh Ganga is also polluting this stream and also impacts Hokersar wetland.
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation -SMC has set up huge pump stations around Chanapora , Natipora , Barzulla and Bulbul Bagh which flush all the liquid waste into Doodh Ganga. These were technically storm water drainage pumps but they flush sewerage and faecal matter as well into Doodh Ganga which further enters Hokersar impacting aquatic life and migratory birds. The World Bank had provided funds to the Housing and Urban Development Department as well post 2014 floods for flood mitigation in Srinagar city. This amount was spent unscientifically as around 13 pump stations made on banks of Doodh Ganga are flushing sewerage and waste water into Doodh Ganga causing severe water pollution. The NGT has already penalised SMC with Rs 1 crore and overall Rs 35 crore penalty has been imposed on J&K Govt for illegal Riverbed Mining and water pollution in Doodh Ganga. Doodh Ganga is a major tributary of Jhelum which enters Hokersar wetland after crossing Tengpora Bemina and further joins Jhelum in the downstream.
Conclusion
So many years have passed since funds were released by Govt of India for flood mitigation works to be taken up in Jhelum and its tributaries. Why are these funds not spend on the ground needs an inquiry and LG Manoj Sinha must hold a detailed report from Jal Shakti Department as to why there has been a long delay in floating tenders for Rs 114 crores which were released by Govt of India in April 2022 under the Comprehensive Flood Management of River Jhelum and its Tributaries-Phase-II (Part-A).
Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat is an Aumen Fellow.
He is Founder & Chairman Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement
