Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday expressed concern over the inordinate delay in central assistance for the Swan river channelisation in the state's Una district.
He said the Union Ministry for Water Resources had cleared a project of about Rs 922.48 crore for the channelisation of all tributaries of the Swan.
The project was funded under the 70:30 scheme and as per the agreement the union ministry was to contribute 70 per cent to the project while the remaining was the share of the state.
This issue was raised at the governing body meeting of Swan River Channelisation Authority here.
A statement quoting the Chief Minister said without the availability of funds, the already completed work of the Swan would face damage during floods if the embankments were not constructed.
He directed the state authorities to write to the Prime Minister for releasing the central share.
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The Swan river channelisation project aims to regenerate forests, protect farmlands from flooding and reduce soil erosion mainly in Una district, bordering Punjab.
In the first year, the cost of the project was Rs 330 crore, out which the state was to contribute Rs 99 crore while the remaining was to be contributed by the Union Ministry for Water Resources.
A sum of Rs 189.351 crore has been released by the central government since the commissioning of the project.
However, the total length of embankments is around 387.6 km and the total area to be reclaimed is around 7,164 hectares. So far, only 162.36 km of embankments and 2,884 hectares have been reclaimed.
The Chief Minister also ordered a complete ban on mining in the Chaunch river in Kangra district so that there was no threat to life and property in case floods hit the area.
--IANS
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