Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Choudhary visited Bandipora to review the project for streamlining of Bonar and Madhumati nallah including Flood Protection works to cater the continuous discharge from Kishanganga Hydro Electric Project (KGHEP).

The Minister was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Sajad Hussain Ganie, Chief Engineer I&FC Kashmir Imtiyaz Ahmad, Chief Engineer PHE Kashmir G M Bhat, SSP Bandipora and senior officers of PHE, I&FC department.

Sham Lal Choudhary visited various sites on Madhumati and Bonar nallah where he inspected the multi-crore development project to reconstruct the embankments across the Madhumati and Bonar nallah to contain water to be released after commissioning of 330 Megawatt Kishanganga Hydro Electric Power Project. The project is related to the treatment of Madhumati and Bonar nallah to improve its discharge capacity and to protect the Nallah boundaries against high discharge.

Chief Engineer I&FC Imtiyaz Ahmad informed the Minister that around 70 works at the cost of Rs 134 crore are to be executed under this project out of which 17 to be carried out in Bonar nallah and 52 in Madhumati nallah to cater the water discharge from Kishanganga project.

It was also informed that presently, 35 works are underway on both the nallahs and remaining works will also be taken up soon. Adequate number of men and machinery has been put into service to ensure timely completion of these works, the Chief Engineer informed.

At the work site, the Minister was given brief presentation about the project and the works to be executed under the project. It was told that various protections works under the project are to be executed including construction of RCC walls, NRCC walls, Gabion walls, RCC weirs, Gabion weirs, Gabion spurs, RCC sheet walls, stone pitching and slope stability works.

The Minister also interacted with the representatives of NHPC who apprised him about the status of KGHEP.

Speaking to officers of the department, Sham Lal Choudhary said that KGHEP is a prestigious project and will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narender Modi later this year. He directed them to expedite the pace of works so that all proposed protection works can be completed well before commissioning of the project.

The Minister also asked Deputy Commissioner to monitor the works for its timely completion.

Later, the local people also met the Minister and raised their issues and demands pertaining to water supply and other public related issues.      After listening to the issues put forth by the locals, the Minister sought details from the concerned officers about the water supply position in the areas and directed them to ensure supply of clean drinking water. The people were assured that within next ten days, the water filtration plant in the area would be made functional and adequate water supply will be provided from this plant.

Directions were also issued to the concerned to check illegal water connections from drinking water supply pipes to the orchards and to ensure removing all such connections at the earliest.

Guest