The work on Ujh Multipurpose Project in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua is yet not initiated despite the proposal was revised.
The revised proposal of the Ujh Multipurpose Project was considered in the 148th meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee of Ministry of Jal Shakti in the meeting held on January 17, 2022.
In previous proposal, estimated cost for the project to be completed was at a cost of Rs 9167 crore which will provide irrigation facility to 76929 hectares and it will also generate 196 Mega Watts of electricity.
But after the project proposal was revised, the project will be completed at a cost of Rs 11908 crore at December 2019 price level and project will be having irrigation potential of 91073 hectares of land but the power generation will be only 89.50 Mega Watts.
But still the work has not been initiated on the project as decision on many aspects is yet to be taken either by the Government of India or the administration of J&K, as per Daily Excelsior. Moreover, permanent authority for the execution of the project is still not selected by Union Jal Shakti Ministry.
Principal Secretary to Government, Irrigation and Flood Control Department Ashok Parmar said that though the acceptance of revised proposal is a great success for them but many other issues are required to be sorted out for start of the work on the project.
Parmar further informed that he has asked the Deputy Commissioners of Kathua and Samba to constitute District Level Task Force to handle the issues of forest, environment and wildlife clearances, acquisition of land and shifting of utilities besides related matters.