SRINAGAR: Minister for Jal Shakti, Javid Ahmad Rana, said that Rs 2083 crore has been allocated for the flood management of River Jhelum and its tributaries under the PMDP package of 2015, following the September 2014 floods.
Replying to a question raised by Farooq Ahmad Shah, the Minister informed the House that the carrying capacity of River Jhelum in the Srinagar stretch has been increased from 31,800 cusecs to 41,000 cusecs.
He further said that the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for flood management were prepared in two phases—Phase I and Phase II—covering short-term and long-term measures. Phase I, approved in 2015-16 for Rs 399.29 crore by the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), is nearing completion. Phase II (Part-A) was approved in March 2022 for Rs 1623.43 crore, aiming to mitigate a flood threat of up to 60,000 cusecs in River Jhelum.
The Minister added that the project is under execution, with Rs 114.293 crore already spent from Central Assistance. A total of 30 bank protection works are being carried out under the project, with 29 tendered and 16 completed. The overall progress of these works stands at 80%.
“DPR for Comprehensive Flood Management Works on River Jhelum and Its Tributaries – Phase II was prepared at an estimated cost of Rs 5411.54 crore and submitted to the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), Government of India, for approval,” he said.
The Minister said that the State Administrative Council (SAC) has granted in-principle approval, allowing the department to proceed with implementing Part-A (estimated at Rs 1684.6 crore) using available funds. For Part-B, financing options are being explored. In July 2022, administrative approval was granted for Part-A of Phase II at Rs 1623.43 crore.
Entry and exit gates in Hokersar Wetland have been completed at a cost of Rs 28.45 crore, which is crucial for the rejuvenation of the wetland, he added.
