PDP MLA joins opposition in cornering govt on Jehlum dredging

The Legislative Assembly Wednesday witnessed bonhomie between ruling party and opposition legislators on demand for constitution of a house committee to monitor dredging in river Jhelum.
As the Minister for Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC), Sham Lal Choudhary stood up to answer a query on the Jhelum dredging in Legislative Assembly today, he was cornered by ruling PDP MLA from Sonwar, Mohammad Ashraf Mir who said the government has failed to satisfactorily dredge the river Jehlum in Srinagar district.
“In your reply, you have stated that you are doing dredging in Sopore. The flood threat is in Srinagar due to the course of the river. I fail to understand the plan of this department,” Mir said.
While demanding formation of a house committee to monitor the dredging of the river, the PDP MLA said if a flood of the magnitude of 2014 hits Valley again, the government would be in no position to tackle it.
He alleged that PM package for dredging was not utilized till now and accused the minister of diverting the attention of the house.
Mir said danger is looming large in Srinagar as no work was done from Pampore to Sonawar for three years.
Mir was seconded in his demand by CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam, Mohammad YousufTarigami, who said the government should tell the house that it would take more than two decades to dredge the river bed.
“You haven’t done anything,” he told I&FC minister.
He said if the minister doesn’t have answers to the supplementary questions then the question of the member should be deferred.
“The need for formation of house committee was very urgent as the matter is very serious,” Tarigami said.
Senior NC leader and MLA Khanyar Ali Mohammad Sagaralso demanded formation of the house committee to look into the issue.
“The government is in hibernation while the time is running out to dredge the river. Everybody is concerned about dredging of river Jhelum in Srinagar. There should have been 4-5 machines in Srinagar to dredge out the silt but you are busy dredging in Sopore,” he said.
Earlier in its reply to query of Mohammad Ashraf Mir, the government informed the Assembly that that 5.06 lakh cum have been dredged out in Baramulla part of the Jhelum while 5.084 lakh cum have been dredged out in Srinagar part of the river.
The government also revealed that it has no proposal to seek the financial assistance from the World Bank for desilting the water bodies falling under the Forest, Environment, and Ecology Department.