STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Thursday directed the Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) to use state-of-the art technologies for effective solid waste management to help the state in improving its ranking on indices of cleanliness.
“There is a need for scientific disposal of waste in the two capital cities, Jammu and Srinagar, and tourist destinations in an environment-friendly manner. State-of-the -art technologies should be used in the ongoing solid waste management projects,” said Sayeed while chairing a meeting here.
The meeting was convened to review ERA Projects under Multi-Sector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation (MSPIR) and Urban Sector Development Investment Programme (USDIP).
The Chief Minister, who is also the Chairman of ERA, also called upon the agency to prepare plan for futuristic projects which can be taken up under Tranche III of Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded loans.
Asking ERA to accelerate the pace of work on ongoing flyover projects in the two capital cities, the Chief Minister stressed upon the need to complete the construction within the stipulated timeline.
The meeting was informed that Rs 385 crore have been sanctioned for construction of Jahangir Chowk-Rambagh and Bikram Chowk-Presentation Convent School Flyovers in Srinagar and Jammu cities respectively.
“The work is in progress and will be completed within the stipulated timeframe,” an official spokesman said.
The spokesman said, ERA has, so far, availed two loans from ADB under MPIR and USDIP.
Under MPIR, an amount of Rs 1,714 crore have been spent on 117 sub-projects, which include construction of 572 km of road, 24 bridges, 34 tube-wells and laying of 432 km of water supply pipeline, which will generate additional 115 million gallons of water in Jammu and Srinagar cities, he said.
Besides this, the spokesman said, construction of 133 km of drainage network under USDIP will go a long way in solving the drainage problem in the two capital cities.
Under USDIP, J&K has availed three tranches of loan worth Rs 1,769 crore. It covers 31 sub-projects, out of which four sub-projects were completed and 27 were under execution and likely to be completed by December next year, he said.
Laying emphasis on accelerating the pace of ongoing works, Sayeed directed ERA to identify more projects as part of futuristic planning so that new projects especially related to solid waste management in cities and tourist resorts are taken up on priority.