Posted on June 15, 2017
By Mudasir Yaqoob, Greater Kashmir
Non-availability of off-shore space for dumping is proving a big hurdle in the Jhelum dredging in Srinagar, though the authorities claim the dredging has been expedited.
According to sources the firm roped in by the government for drudging of river Jhelum is facing problems due to non-availability of off-shore space in Srinagar for dumping the drudging material.
However, Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control Department Kashmir Imitiyaz Ahmad Dhar said dredging operations are going on eighteen to twenty hours per day.
“We have directed the firm to work in double shift and it is doing so. The present performance of the firm is satisfactory. The way work is going on daily basis, we are optimistic that the already lost time will also be compensated,” he told Greater Kashmir.
He added this May 10710 cubic meters were dredged out in Srinagar, 335384 cubic meters in Panzinara and 36330 cubic meters in Sopore.
“I am personally monitoring the entire process and do seek records about quantity of dredged out material from my officials on daily basis.
“The present performance of firm is satisfactory. The progress of project in Sopore and Panzinara is excellent as I have also given you figures to understand it.
“However, in Srinagar, we lost around 238 hours due to forced shutdown of dredgers enforced by few locals,” he said.
The Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department has awarded Rs 46 crore project to Kolkata-based firm. A hydraulic dredger presently at Zero Bridge pumps out dredged material through a temporary pipeline to an offsite location.
“Till January 2017, the Kolkata based Firm, Reach Dredging, had dredged out only one lakh cubic metres against the target of seven lakh cubic meters in Srinagar. However, as on May 2017, the firm has already dredged out 3,11,000 cubic meters, said an official.
Dhar said that in Sopore, the progress has been good where the firm has already dredged out three lac cubic meters against the target of 405000 cubic meters.
“We understand that the output in Sopore could have been better in case water level had not risen in April 2017. In Panzinara, the firm has done excellent job in May 2017,” he added.
He said the timeline to complete the second part of the project in Sopore and Baramulla is September 2017.
“The firm has deployed 2 dredgers and 8 excavators in Sopore which are also running 18-20 hours a day, in addition to three more dredgers in the Srinagar stretch,” he said.
The firm had attributed delay to 2016 unrest and harsh winters. It had also stopped operations in April 2017 after the water level in Jhelum touched danger mark on gauge.
Source: Greater Kashmir
