Jammu and Kashmir government has started the work to strengthen banks of rivers and streams in the state as part of the flood protection programme, and also remove any encroachment in flood prone areas.
Rural Development minister Abdul Haq launched the flood protection works with the foundation laying of bunds on Rambiara stream at Heff in Shopian and Roh and Bane-Nowgam in Anantnag districts.
The Rural Development Department formally launched the flood protection works on various rivers and tributaries and is using latest 'durable and stronger' gabions for the construction of protection bunds instead of old crates, an official spokesperson said today.
While the four-kilometre bund on both sides of Rambiara stream will be constructed at a cost of Rs 1.39 crore, Rural development department has identified 13 most vulnerable spots where bunds will be constructed in the first phase in Anantnag district at a total cost of Rs 55 crore.
Stressing on the people to avoid encroaching the state land especially in flood prone areas, the minister said "the violators will be dealt with strictly.
"I have given clear cut directions to officers that no encroachment will be allowed. We will remove all encroachments that are identified during execution of flood protection project," he said.
Haq said the government has prioritised flood-related works in rural development sector to safeguard public properties from suffering losses during floods.
He said such works will serve two purposes - one, people will get jobs under MGNREGA and second, it will protect the villages from floods.
"The methodology being utilised for protection, treatment
and stabilisation of Trikuta Mountain slopes comprises interventions which involve highly sophisticated techniques like installation of high energy absorption rockfall barriers, high tensile strength steel wire-mesh, rolled cable net and concrete work including shotcrete, cladding, drilling grouting, anchoring as well as other site specific treatments," Sahu said.
The rockfall barriers, manufactured in Switzerland, can arrest boulder upto 16 metric tons in weight falling freely from upto 60 metre height or rolling down 100 metre from a slope.
"THDCIL had designed the barriers for the first time in 2013 for the Vaishno Devi Project. Since then rockfall barriers, having energy absorption upto 3000 kilojoules, have been used in several other projects in India," he added.
As slopes of the Vaishno Devi Project are steep high rockfall barriers of 5000 and 8000 kilojoules energy absorption are being used on these mountains for the first time in India.
Vohra was informed that extensive work is also underway to construct rain shelters on the tracks.
So far, about 15 km track has been covered with shelter sheds.
"High quality heavy gauge CGI sheets are being used to cover the sheds which absorb the thrust of the smaller falling stones," Sahu said.
He said that for greater safety, at the Board's request, M/s THDCIL has prepared an improved version of shelter sheds which can take upto 30 to 40 kilogrammes of load.
An eight feet high welded mesh fence has been erected all along the track to prevent any pilgrim from accidentally falling down the slopes.
"As of now this fencing has been erected along 18 km of the tracks, at an approximate cost of Rs 7 crore," he said.
