JOIN USWullar project lacks security: Minister
Even as work on the Rs 386-crore Wullar conservation project in north Kashmir remained suspended for the sixth consecutive day on Monday, state minister for Irrigation and Flood Control Taj Mohiud-Din alleged that the police had failed to provide security to the project.
“Keeping in view the sensitivity of the project and its past history, the Deputy Inspector General of North Kashmir was asked to provide security when the work started last year. However, no security was provided to the project,” the minister said.
A senior police officer on condition of anonymity told Deccan Herald that it was difficult to provide security to engineers and labourers working on different sites in Wullar lake.
“It is not possible to provide security to each and every worker as the Wullar lake is spread over several square kilometres having dense willow plantations,” he added.
The minister said the 10 to 15 terrorists who attacked the project came from Pakistan.
Contrary to police claims that the attackers were local militants and they caused only minor damages, the minister said: “Police initially believed that the attack was a local affair. But I maintained that it has been done by Pakistan. They (police) only believed me when a timer fitted with IED blew off a shed at the project site right in front of the officers who were analysing the nature of the attack at 12:30 pm on Tuesday (August 28),” Taj said.
“What have local militants to do with this project?” he asked. The minister said the Wullar Barrage project was considered by Pakistan to be a violation of the Indus Water Treaty and argued that the flood protection and conservation works are not violation of the treaty.
“When the project was conceived, the Central Water Commission was convinced that the it did not violate the treaty with Pakistan,” he added.
Despite assurances from police for ensuring the security of the workers and the
site, the work remains suspended.