Shimla: Union ministry of water resources has released Rs 33.75 crore towards flood control in Swan River as part of second phase of River Flood Management and Integrated Development Project Phase, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal disclosed today.
He said the state government received a letter from the union ministry today and these much needed funds would help to carry forward the channelization works of the river in Una district.
To convert what was known as the river of sorrow into one of river of happiness, the government prepared a project report about combating the annual seasonal floods in Swan, he said.
To channelize the entire 45 Km stretch from Jhalera Bridge to Santokgarh Bridge, the project had proposed to invest Rs 341.55 crore in two phases as vast lands of fertile lands used to get washed away each year.
With an investment of Rs 106.03 crore, the channelization of 17 Kms was completed in phase I and a total of 2260 hectares of eroded lands had been reclaimed. Work on the second phase started in April, 2008 and would involve an investment of Rs 235.52 crore for completing the channelization of the entire river, said the chief minister.
The second phase would result into reclamation of about 5,000 hectares of land which had earlier been washed away in floods, he added.
The entire project would provide sustainable livelihoods in agriculture for about 50,000 people spread over about 3 dozen villages of Una district, said Dhumal.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
