Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Choudhary has assured MLA Pahalgam Altaf Ahmad Wani that all the issues pertaining to the drinking water supply and works related to Irrigation and Flood Control in Pahalgam constituency will be taken up on priority.The Minister said this during his tour to Pahalgam to inspect the ongoing works on Water Supply Scheme Aishmuqam and other projects being executed by the department in the area.MLA Pahalgam Altaf Ahmad Wani, Chief Engineer PHE Kashmir G M Bhat, Chief Engineer I&FC Kashmir Imtiaz Ahmad Dhar, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag Mohammad Younis Malik, Superintending Engineers and concerned officers accompanied the Minister during his tour.Sham Lal Choudhary directed the concerned officers to pace up the works and to make WSS Aishmuqam ready for inauguration by June 30.MLA Pahalgam also raised various other issues related to Irrigation and Flood Control and requested for taking up the works on priority.
He said that there is a need to make defunct schemes functional to upgrade the infrastructure.The concerned officers informed the Minister that one new irrigation scheme has been taken up under LIC and 2 more have been proposed under NABARD.The Minister asked the ADC Anantnag to arrange funds for protection bunds at vulnerable spots on convergence mode and also asked the MLA Pahalgam to provide list of identified spots where these works can be taken up.The Minister also visited Headworks Martand Canal and inspected the irrigation canal network. The Minister was informed that for Modernization of Martand Canal, the department has already submitted the Detailed Project Report (DPR) under ERA costing Rs 45.07 crore.Later, Sham Lal Choudhary also inspected 4.50 MGD Water Treatment Plant Hutmarh which provides supply of drinking water to Anantnag town. He directed the concerned officers to closely monitor the quality of water be0ing supplied to the people and to regularly test the water samples.The Minister directed the officers to put in sincere efforts in providing drinking water to the people and other irrigation and flood control related facilities to the people. He assured the MLA Pahalgam that all important issues raised will be redressed on priority.