Jammu and Kashmir government hopeful Centre will approve flood spill channel

Jammu and Kashmir government today expressed hope that the Centre will approve its Rs 2,200-crore project for construction of a second flood spill channel that will be able to handle the kind of water discharge witnessed during the recent floods which claimed more than 280 lives and destroyed property worth thousands of crores.

"I am sure the project costing Rs 2,200 crore will be sanctioned by the Government of India," state Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey told reporters here.

He said the project for construction of a second flood spill channel from Sangam in Anantnag district in south Kashmir to Wullar Lake in Bandipora district in north Kashmir was submitted to the Centre in 2007 and Rs 97 crore were released in 2010.

"There were some arguments back and forth but the project has not yet been sanctioned," he said.

Khandey said the Kashmir floods will be a classic case for study to prevent urban floods.

Secretary, Flood Control Department, Pawan Kotwal said the proposed second flood spill channel has the capacity to hold 1,20,000 cusec water that Jhelum river carried on September 6 which inundated large parts of the Valley.

"It is essential for the whole Valley to have a flood management project," Kotwal said, even as he admitted that encroachments on the banks of the river and illegal constructions were also responsible for the floods.
The official said the funds released by the Centre were used for dredging the existing flood channel, which enhanced its capacity by 9,000 cusec.

"We have also carried out dredging in River Jhelum downstream at Baramulla, increasing the capacity of the river there to 30,000 cusec. This saved the Baramulla town and surrounding areas from getting inundated," he added.
Kotwal said the department has sought help from National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) experts to study the cause of sudden rise for water level in river Jhelum.

"We have requested for satellite image data for studying the reasons for the rise of water level," he added.

Kotwal said the floods in Kashmir were the worst since 1902.

"The Valley was submerged for two months while Srinagar city was marooned for seven months. That year Jhelum was carrying 104,000 cusec of water."

The official said the department will also study the effects of the railway track and construction of national highway through the Valley on the flow of flood water.

"Railway and highway prevented the spread of flood water.

We will study all this," he added.