Status of Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery project reviewed

Srinagar, Jan 15: Chief Executive Officer, Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA), Dr. Syed Sehrish Asgar, today exhorted upon the officers to rigorously identify and remove the impediments hindering the progress of various vital works being executed under World Bank funded Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project.

She issued these directions while chairing a meeting held to review progress on ongoing works being executed under World Bank funded Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project at Civil Secretariat, Srinagar.

Dr. Sehrish was informed that as on date 174 sub-projects, out of the total of 213, taken up for execution under the World Bank funded Jhelum Tawi flood Recovery Project have already been completed while work on the remaining 39 sub-projects is in progress. Besides, an expenditure of Rs 1352 crore has been incurred on the project till date.

While reviewing progress on under execution 39 sub-projects of JTFRP, Chief Executive Officer was informed that progress on upgradation of 47 dewatering stations in Srinagar city is at advanced stage with work already completed on 40 stations while work on remaining 7 stations will be completed by March.

CEO directed the concerned nodal officers to submit a progress report regarding work progress after every 20 days saying that no further delays in completion of the significant urban flood management project will be tolerated.

Nodal officer for R&B projects, while divulging the details of sub-projects being executed under  the component of critical infrastructure, informed that work on construction of additional 160 bedded hospital block at Bone and Joints hospital Barzulla, Srinagar, is at the advanced stage with around 90% work completed on civil component of the sub-project. He added that an amount of Rs 59.36 crore has been spent on the critical healthcare project.

He also informed that work on construction of an additional block at GDC, Bemina, is nearing completion and is expected to be completed by March, 2024. Besides, work on construction of the Emergency Operations Centre at Ompora Budgam is also in full swing with work on installation of HVAC and fire fighting system underway.

Nodal Officer, for construction of BaLa school buildings in Jammu division, informed that work on all school buildings except the one at Ramnagar, Udhampur, has been completed.

CEO directed  that work on the remaining school building be completed at an earliest. She asked the concerned nodal officers to ensure that all impediments affecting progress of work on the sub-projects be timely resolved.

While giving details of the projects being executed by J&KERA as PIU (project implementation unit), the CEO was informed that work on Hamray-Sultanpora has been  completed and the project is being handed over to R&B within one week. Besides, work on construction of Bonpora-Padshahi Bagh Storm water drainage project has also been completed except for installation of customised sluice gate which will be installed within months time. It was also informed that work on other road projects namely Devi Mai Ohli-Mandir, Gulati-Shahdra Sharief and Waghama Bijbehra is in full swing and will be completed in the next working season.

The CEO was also briefed about the progress achieved by J&KERA on the two vital river morphological studies of Tawi Basin and Jhelum basin being undertaken under the World Bank funded JTFRP. She asked the concerned officers that the studies be fine tuned to the best satisfaction of the concerned line departments.

Dr. Sehrish impressed upon all the officers of J&K ERA to continue working  in mission mode while complying with all quality parameters and timelines to ensure that all the sub-projects taken up for execution under JTFRP are completed within the stipulated time frame and project objectives of JTFRP are achieved to the fullest.