Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Choudhary said that the Government has submitted 14 schemes worth Rs 41.38 crore under PHE sector for approval for Bishnah, R. S. Pura and Suchetgarh Constituencies under NABARD.Chairing a meeting of officers of Public Health Engineering (PHE), Irrigation and Flood Control department convened to review the functioning and progress of projects under implementation in Bishnah, R. S. Pura and Suchetgarh Constituencies here today, the Minister said that these schemes would further strengthen the distribution system of drinking water in these areas.The schemes would be taken up at village Chohla, Salehar, Muralian, Suchetgarh, Badyal Qazian, Chak Agra, Kotli Arjun Singh, Chak Baja, Mula Chak Bhaiyan Tibba, Chak Hassal, Chak Majra and Kotli Charkan of the Constituencies.Calling for expediting the pace of work on under execution schemes to ensure their timely completion, the Minister said that completion of these schemes would help meet the increased demand for drinking water and irrigation for the areas. He directed the concerned for undertaking repair and restoration of defunct hand pumps besides proper maintenance of machinery at water stations so that adequate water supply is maintained for the people.
The Minister also gave instructions to concerned officers to judiciously use available water resources from the existing systems to meet the drinking water requirements of the people. He also asked the concerned for installing hand pumps for the convenience of people in the areas, where ever required.The Minister further directed concerned for furnishing detailed reports of on-going, defunct and closed schemes within a week’s time, besides furnishing details of distribution system with list of habitations falling under respective jurisdictions of each distribution system, so that necessary measures can be taken to make these schemes functional for the benefit of people. He also asked for displaying the names of concerned officers and officials at every scheme so that they could be contacted at the time of any exigency with regard to water supply.Taking stock of progress on various on-going irrigation projects and their maintenance, de-silting and other works, Sham Choudhary asked the concerned for repairing khulls and lodging FIR against the persons who have damaged the khulls. He asked for preparing a project for supplementing water in canals so that irrigation water supply to tail end villages is ensured. He asked for preparing the inventory of machinery and other assets with the department so that it could be utilized for the benefit of common masses.
Reviewing the pace of progress on projects being executed under PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control sectors in Bishnah Constituency, the meeting was informed that 46 Water supply schemes are functional in the area. It was informed that work on about dozen Water Supply Schemes is on-going, besides DPRs of some schemes have been submitted for approval and funding to the concerned quarters. As many as 9 tube wells and 144 hand pumps have been drilled under NABARD and Ground Water Scheme respectively in the Constituency. It was further informed that 11 more tube wells would also be drilled under the NABARD Scheme.The meeting was informed that additionally three Schemes have been approved under PMKSY.Chief Engineer, PHE, Jammu, Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control, Jammu, besides other senior engineers of Department from Jammu and Samba Districts attended the meeting.