Srinagar, Aug 27 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday directed time-bound action to strengthen drainage infrastructure in the summer capital of the Union Territory.
The chief minister chaired a high-level meeting to review the drainage sector of Srinagar, with a focus on addressing waterlogging, strengthening stormwater infrastructure and putting in place both immediate and long-term measures to improve the city’s drainage resilience.
During the meeting, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner Fazlul Haseeb gave a detailed presentation on the drainage profile of Srinagar and outlined a comprehensive five-year integrated roadmap to address the key infrastructural and environmental challenges affecting stormwater management in the city, an official spokesman said.
The presentation highlighted that Srinagar currently has around 680 km of stormwater deep drainage network, while the city faces a deficit of nearly 2,500 km of drain length in view of future development envisaged under Master Plan 2035, the spokesman said.
Around 15 per cent of the existing stormwater network is presently not functioning at optimum hydraulic capacity due to inadequate drain dimensions, ageing infrastructure, silt deposition and solid-waste ingress.
The review also highlighted the impact of rapid urbanisation on the city’s natural drainage system and stressed the need for conservation and restoration of remaining natural drainage corridors, the spokesman said.
The chief minister said that to the best extent possible, the drainage system must be strengthened so that the city does not face inundation after few hours of rainfall.
He directed the SMC to adopt the proposed short-term measures as its standard operating procedure and ensure its timely implementation.
He also directed that whenever an alert regarding high precipitation is received, SMC should immediately activate these measures to minimise waterlogging and mitigate its impact.
“While these measures will help address some of the immediate problems, the major challenge is infrastructure,” Abdullah said, directing the SMC to proceed with the proposed long-term interventions, engage a competent agency and prepare a detailed project report (DPR).
He stressed that the DPR and proposed interventions should form part of the overall drainage plan rather than becoming a standalone emergency measure.
Abdullah also directed the SMC to take all concerned departments on board and, once the DPR and financial requirements are finalised, work out the funding mechanism, including resources available with the departments.
The CM also emphasised the need for a sustained citizen awareness campaign, particularly regarding disposal of solid waste, plastic bottles and polythene bags. He said that polythene bags are a major cause of choking in the drainage system and called for greater public participation in keeping drains free from waste.
The proposed immediate measures include cleaning and de-silting of existing drains, clearing blockages, daily lifting of solid waste, prioritising missing links, installation of mechanical screens in large open drains and ensuring backup power for de-watering stations.
Long-term interventions include construction of additional de-watering stations, segregation of sewerage and stormwater networks, upgradation of old and natural drains, prevention of encroachments and conservation and rejuvenation of lakes, the spokesman said.
The proposed integrated programme is to be implemented in two phases over five years, with priority accorded to commercial and densely populated areas followed by low-lying areas, he added. PTI SSB KVK KVK
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