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Friday, Jun 17, 2005

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Haryana villages face flood threat

State lodges strong protest over marginal bund being built on Yamuna by U.P.

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Government has lodged a "strong protest" with the Uttar Pradesh government and asked them to stop forthwith the construction of Jewar Tappol Marginal Bund on left bank of Yamuna river in Gautam Budh Nagar and Aligarh districts which could "endanger a number of villages on Haryana side in Palwal and Hodal tehsils during floods" in the river.

Replying to the calling attention motion on this issue moved by Congress MLA Udai Bhan and Karan Singh Dalal in the State Assembly here today, Haryana's Irrigation Minister Ajay Yadav informed the House that the Central Water Commission has been requested for urgent intervention. Capt. Yadav said that the Bund which is 28.20 km in length is being constructed at an estimated cost of over Rs. 96 crore has been designed for discharge of 2,75,000 cusecs in river Yamuna with a free board of 1.8 metres. "The U.P. Irrigation Department reportedly started construction of this embankment sometime in May 2003 and by this time has nearly completed work in about 12 km. The part of the Bund where work is in progress and is nearing completion is upstream of Palwal-Aligarh road," he said.

Expressing his concern, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said his government was taking the matter "very seriously".

Capt. Yadav informed the House that the U.P. Irrigation Department got the approval of the scheme from the Planning Commission on the basis of clearance of the scheme by the Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC) in the year 2001. He said the scheme needed revision and when the revised scheme was taken to the GFCC, the U.P. Irrigation Department was advised to get clearance of the Yamuna Standing Committee, which comprises of members of basin States presided by member (river management), Central Water Commission to examine and clear all the flood schemes on river Yamuna. Capt. Yadav said the scheme was for the first time considered by Yamuna Sub-Committee at its meeting held on April 19 this year and came to the notice of Haryana's Irrigation Department for the first time.

He said that Chief Engineer from Haryana in a meeting with his U.P. counterpart on May 16 this year had reiterated that all works should be stopped by the U.P. immediately pending completion of the study and clearance by the Yamuna Standing Committee.

The Chief Engineer, Haryana, had contended in the meeting that it was "irregular on the part of U.P. to by-pass Yamuna Standing Committee/Yamuna Sub-Committee and get the scheme cleared by the GFCC, Patna/The Planning Commission and start the work without referring to the YSC as should have been done". -- PTI

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