Srinagar, Sep 5: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg, today chaired a meeting to review various issues and bottlenecks affecting the execution of works under River Jhelum National Waterway-49 aimed at facilitating water transport.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, RTO Kashmir, Chief Engineers of KPDCL, KPTCL and I&FC, SE UEED, besides officers from the Departments of Tourism, R&B, Traffic, Forest and ULB.

During the meeting, the Divisional Commissioner took a detailed review of the issues associated with the project, including removal of trees and widening of the road at Gund Parang, construction of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) for water treatment, shifting of KPDCL and KPTCL utilities, and relocation of houseboats.

Taking note of the issues raised by the concerned departments, the Divisional Commissioner directed all stakeholders to incorporate the required construction and utility-shifting works in their respective departmental plans to ensure coordinated and timely execution.

He further directed officials of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) to conduct a comprehensive joint survey of the proposed works at Gund Parang in coordination with the concerned officers and identify the nature of land required for execution of the project.

The IWAI officials were also directed to undertake a detailed assessment of existing utilities at the site, identify modalities of their exact locations and coordinate with the concerned departments for timely shifting wherever required.

The Divisional Commissioner stressed the need for close inter-departmental coordination and directed IWAI officials to adhere strictly to prescribed timelines for resolution of issues. He also called for regular coordination with field teams to ensure that identified bottlenecks are addressed promptly and the project progresses as per schedule.