Srinagar, Oct 28 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday announced that works under Flood Management Phase-II along the Jhelum River in Srinagar are nearing completion, and the old dewatering stations have been upgraded.
Responding to a question by MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar, Jal Shakti Minister, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), stated in a written reply that the flood mitigation works envisaged under Flood Management Phase-II in Srinagar have been initiated since 2023-24. These primarily include bank protection and reinforcement measures along the Jhelum River at various vulnerable locations within the district.
The minister said, "The works under Flood Management Phase-II in the Srinagar stretch involve embankment and reinforcement, with a total cost of Rs. 14.79 crore. These works are in the advanced stages of execution, with approximately 85% physical progress, and are nearing completion."
Regarding the financial progress for the current fiscal year, he said, "An amount of Rs. 711.49 lakh has been released under the SNA limit for the Comprehensive Flood Management Plan works on the Jhelum River and its tributaries Phase-II. So far, an expenditure of Rs. 493.79 lakh has been incurred."
The minister further informed that the Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UDD) has reported significant flood mitigation efforts by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), in coordination with other departments, to minimise the impact of frequent and intense floods that cause waterlogging.
The minister added, "Out of 104 dewatering stations across the city, 73 old stations have been upgraded—against an identified target of 80—under various projects such as AMRUT, JTFRP, and ADB-funded schemes. Additionally, two dewatering stations are being upgraded under Smart City and SASCI funding. The remaining stations were established after the 2014 floods through various schemes. These interventions have substantially enhanced the city’s capacity to manage stormwater more effectively."
He further said that a major capacity-building effort was carried out under the Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP), Component III, which focused on restoring urban flood management infrastructure. "Under this component, 45 existing dewatering stations out of the 80 identified were upgraded, and procurement activities for urban flood mitigation were undertaken at a total cost of Rs. 141 crore, funded by the World Bank."
The SMC has augmented its mobile pumping infrastructure by adding 154 new pumping units to its existing fleet of 127 units, he added.
Regarding flood mitigation works along Nallamar, the minister said, "An ongoing project involves upgrading the Storm Water Noorbagh Dewatering Station, including laying a drainage shunt line, with a total cost of Rs 7.02 crore. This work has been underway since December 2024 and aims to upgrade the station’s capacity from 22 Cusecs to 60 Cusecs, catering to the area from Rajouri Kadal (Chowk) to Noor Bagh (Cement Bridge). For the year 2025-26, Rs. 4.84 crore has been allocated for this project."—(KNO)