SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday announced a major infrastructure initiative for water resource development and flood protection in Sopore constituency, with projects worth over Rs 60 crore either under execution or in the pipeline.
Responding to a query raised by MLA Sopore, Irshad Rasool Kar, the Minister in charge of the Jal Shakti Department, said that flood protection and modernisation works have been approved to enhance water flow capacity, reduce flooding, and improve water resource management in the Sopore constituency.
The Minister revealed that a flood protection project for Ningli Nallah has been approved under NABARD, with a total cost of Rs 16.89 crore, and work is currently underway.
Regarding the modernisation of Zaingeer Canal, the government has prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) amounting to Rs 44.85 crore, which is awaiting NABARD funding.
For Pohru Nallah, the Minister stated that one flood protection work has already been completed under the Flood Management Programme (FMP) Phase-II, while another is under execution under the UT Capex budget. Additionally, a survey has been completed for Khursi Nallah downstream of the National Highway, and a DPR is being prepared accordingly.
The Minister further informed that under FMP Phase-II, an expenditure of Rs 75 lakh was incurred on Pohru Nallah and Rs 101 lakh on Ningli Nallah.
Under the UT Capex budget, Rs 35 lakh has been spent on Pohru Nallah and Rs 38.37 lakh on Ningli Nallah. Additionally, Rs 90 lakh was spent under NABARD funding for Ningli Nallah works.
Under the Maintenance & Repair (M&R) fund, Rs 15 lakh was spent on Pohru Nallah and Rs 10 lakh on Ningli Nallah. Furthermore, Rs 16.10 lakh was utilised under PRI grants for the same, the Minister said.
Addressing the sustainability of water sources, the Minister stated that the DPRs are based on detailed surveys, ensuring that source water quality meets BIS 10500 standards. Furthermore, the projects have been designed with Rapid Sand Filtration Plants (RSFP) to ensure a clean and sustainable water supply in the region. (KNO)
