Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Council on Friday accorded administrative approval of Rs 1,623 crore for flood management of river Jhelum and its tributaries.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.
The project intends to protect flood-prone areas along the river in at least six districts.
“The Administrative Council, which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, accorded administrative approval to the Jhelum flood protection works by Jal Shakti Department in Kashmir division,” an official spokesperson said.
It approved the project — Comprehensive Plan for River Jhelum and its tributaries, Phase (II) Part (A) — amounting to Rs 1,623.43 crore under the Prime Minister’s Development Package, he said.
The proposed works are based on the existing site conditions and issues of the main Jhelum downstream of Sangam up to Wullar Lake, flood spill channel and outfall channel, including tributaries, in order to safely mitigate a flood threat of 1,700 cubic metres (60,000 cusecs).
The project comprises various components, including improvement in the discharge carrying capacity of river Jhelum, bank and toe protection works, raising of bunds and embankments, and re-sectioning and channel improvement of the river.
Regulation of silt input from tributaries by anti-erosion works are also proposed at critical spots.
The other works under the project comprise rejuvenating water bodies such as Hokersar and Nowgham by re-sectioning of the cunnettes and inside channels, and construction of inlet and exit regulating gates, the spokesperson said.
The project intends to protect flood-prone areas along the Jhelum in Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla, Anantnag, Pulwama and Bandipora districts, and will generate 1.19 crore man-days employment for skilled workers and 3.81 crore man-days employment for unskilled workers, respectively. It will be completed in three years, he added.
The project was conceptualised on the basis of recommendations made by a three-member group headed by the chairman of the Central Water Commission, which was constituted shortly after the September 2014 floods on the instructions of the prime minister.
The AC also approved the change of nomenclature of Directorates in the Social Welfare Department.
The decision has been made to rename the Mission Directorate, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS); Mission Directorate, Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS); and State Resource Centre for Women (SRCW) as Directorate Mission Poshan; Directorate Mission Vatsalya; and Directorate Mission Shakti, respectively, an official spokesman said.
He said the decision will streamline the implementation of various social welfare schemes in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, besides, bringing them in consonance with the new umbrella schemes of the Government of India. Accordingly, various schemes of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, GoI will be re-distributed among the three Directorates.
Now, the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Scheme for Adolescent Girls, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, National Crèche Scheme will be implemented by the Directorate of Poshan Abhiyan, whereas, the Integrated Child Protection Services (ICPS) and services under the Juvenile Justice Act will be implemented by the Directorate of Mission Vatsalya, he said.
Similarly, the Directorate of Mission Shakti will be implementing the schemes including One Stop Centre/Women’s Helpline (181), Swadhar Greh, Widow Homes, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and other women welfare schemes for women empowerment with a special focus on gender budgeting, research, and assistance to working women, the spokesman further said.
