Jammu: The government on Tuesday was left red faced after the ruling as well as opposition legislators came down heavily on the flood and irrigation department for carrying out a ‘flawed’ dredging in river Jhelum and Wullar Lake.

The members were speaking during the grants for PHE, irrigation and flood control department. The members accused the government of benefitting blue eyed contractors by resorting to flawed dredging of river Jehlum, Wullar and Hokrssar Lake.

Chairman Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) Hakim Muhammad Yasin said the government invested crores of rupees on dredging however, there was no result on grounds.

“The way the government is doing dredging of Jhelum, we have not seen any fruitful results of it,” he said and asked the government to bring accountability into the entire process.

Ruling PDP MLA from Batamaloo Noor Muhammad Sheikh told the House that people associated with dredging were not taking it seriously.

“These people remove sand and leave behind mud and muck as they are making money by selling the sand in open markets,” he alleged.

He said the dredging of river Jhelum near Pampore, Hajin and Srinagar was not being done properly.

“Same is the case with Hokarsar and Wullar, both have not been dredged,” he said, adding that there was a need to raise banks of river Jhelum instead of their widening.

Another ruling party MLA from Rafiabad Yawar Mir said government should focus on increasing the capacity of Jhelum on priority.

“And it can be done if you work on Dogripora-Wullar  flood channel for which proposal has been already made by the government and capacity of Jhelum will be increased if linked to this flood channel,” he said.

Yawar took a dig at the firm associated with the dredging of Jhelum and said the machines pressed for dredging were not fit for the job.

“Jhelum has lost its capacity which is a serious issue and you (government) pay attention to it and use scientific machines for dredging process,” Mir said, adding “you will be remembered for it.”

Opposition MLA from Bandipora, Usman Majid came down heavily on the government and said dredging of Wullar Lake was being done from upper side instead of the lower side.

“The water has to go to lower side but dredging is being done from upper side,” Majid said.

“There is complete mismanagement in dredging of Wullar and I don’t know whom you are pleasing by doing this,” he said.

He said the contractors were enjoying political backing have taken the money while 90 percent of their works are pending.

NC MLA Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar also raised concern over flawed dredging and said machines were pressed at spots were they find sand. “But the spots were they find mud are left unattended,” he said.

Jabbar said the Ganderbal water canals which are source of water supply for Srinagar district were left unattended by the government.

“The water supply schemes of Ganderbal are lifeline for Srinagar but these canals have developed breaches at various spots which are yet to be filled,” he said.

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