Devika river project in J-K to reflect collective pride: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

Union minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that the Devika river national project in Jammu and Kashmir is going to reflect people's collective pride and faith, and will be the first-of-its-kind in north India, according to an official statement. Therefore, he said, it is important that the authorities executing the work should take all sections of society in confidence, regardless of ideology or political affiliation, so that when this project is accomplished, it is seen not only as a role model for similar projects in other parts of the country but should also signify a sense of harmony and unity which river Devika has symbolised over the centuries.

During a visit to the site of the Devika rejuvenation project and the subsequent meeting here, the minister said he visualises the historic Devika project not only as a project of faith but as a monument of consensus and conciliation.

Singh, the minister of state for personnel, is a Lok Sabha member from Udhampur.

The Devika river holds great religious significance as it is revered by Hindus as the sister of the river Ganga. Under the centrally funded Rs 190 crore, National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) bathing ghats (places) on the banks of the Devika river will be developed, encroachments will be removed, natural water bodies restored and catchment areas will be developed along with a cremation ground, said the statement issued by Union Personnel Ministry.

The project includes the construction of three sewage treatment plants, a sewerage network of 129.27 km, the development of two cremation ghats, protection fencing and landscaping, small hydropower plants and three solar power plants, it said. On completion of the project, the rivers will see a reduction in pollution and improvement in water quality, the statement said.

Comparing it with the pioneer 'Namami Gange' project of the central government, the minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sanctioning the Devika project, which was formally launched by Modi during his visit to Jammu in early 2019. Singh recalled that only last week he had conducted a thorough review of the project through a virtual meeting, which was also attended by Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta and Principal Secretary Urban Development Dheeraj Gupta. He had emphasised on increasing the pace of work to make up for the time-lapse on account of the Covid pandemic and had also stressed the importance of optimum coordination between the contracting agency and the engineering wings, the statement said. 

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