Rs 22 crore spent, 15 years gone: Check dam project remains incomplete in J&K’s Kathua

Jammu: Fifteen years after its inception and with Rs 22 crore already spent, a check dam project aimed at conserving water and supporting irrigation remains incomplete in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The issue was raised by BJP’s Bharat Bhushan in the assembly through an unstarred question on Saturday, seeking information about the present status of the project and the government’s response to complete the 30 percent balance work.

Responding to the query, minister in-charge Jal Shakti department Javed Ahmed Rana said the check dam at village Khokhyal was taken up in 2009 at a total cost of Rs 25.85 crore and after completion of 70 percent work of weir part of the project, the inhabitants of the area forced the department to stop work till settlement of their land compensation cases.

Various components of the project, including main check dam, left and right side guide bunds except damaged portion, diversion channel, Barmori canal RD 0-4960 metre (presently damaged at several spots) were completed at a cumulative expenditure of Rs 22.65 crore ending March 31, 2024, he said.

The minister said the amicable solution to the land dispute took a long time due to which price escalation affected the project and the work remained incomplete and is abandoned for want of additional funds. He said a revised Detailed Project Report was submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) Delhi for sanction.

However, the CWC has returned the DPR with the observation that the scheme is a part of cluster of 54 Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) schemes included under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) during 2007-08 and central assistance has been released to the scheme under AIBP. Therefore, the project may not be revised under minor irrigation, Rana said.

In order to complete the balance work, he said a comprehensive proposal is under formulation by taking into account the changed site conditions and shall be prepared in due course of time.