Shopian: District Development Commissioner (DDC) Shopian Charandeep Singh has directed the Irrigation Department to expedite ongoing projects and ensure their timely completion, while warning against delays and negligence by contractors.
Chairing a review meeting of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the DDC assessed the physical and financial progress of ongoing projects and reviewed proposed works being undertaken under various schemes and budgetary heads.
The meeting was informed that Shopian has a total cultivable command area (CCA) of 19,700 hectares, of which irrigation potential has been created over 16,693 hectares. The district has an irrigation network comprising approximately 212 kilometres of main canals and 602 kilometres of distributaries.
Officials informed the meeting that 60 irrigation schemes are currently being managed in the district, including 36 gravity schemes and 24 lift schemes. These comprise three major and medium schemes and 57 minor schemes.
The DDC directed the Executive Engineer, Irrigation Division Shopian, and field staff to strengthen site supervision and regularly monitor ongoing works. He also called for timely resolution of administrative bottlenecks and coordination issues affecting project execution.
Emphasising the need for proper planning, he directed officials to ensure that Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are prepared after technical assessments and field verification, taking into account actual requirements, feasibility and anticipated public benefits.
Taking note of delays by some contractors, Singh directed the department to monitor contractual performance and initiate appropriate action against those failing to meet prescribed deadlines. He said accountability should be fixed wherever negligence or avoidable delays were established.
The DDC said strengthening irrigation infrastructure was important for supporting the district’s agricultural economy and ensuring adequate water facilities for farmers.
Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Division assured the DDC that measures would be taken to accelerate ongoing works and improve field-level monitoring.
Chief Planning Officer Mudasir Ahmed, the Executive Engineer and other officers and officials of the department attended the meeting.
