LG to lay foundation stone of Tawi Riverfront dev project on Feb 12
Marred by “delays and cancellations” since its start in 2009, the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will be laying the foundation stone for the prestigious Tawi River Front Development Project’ to be developed on the lines of Gujarat’s Sabarmati River Front on February 12.
The Jammu and Kashmir government had set a deadline of 2023 to complete the multi-crore artificial Tawi lake project in Jammu, while the deadline for completion of artificial pondage (lake) in the Tawi river-which is an integral part of the river front development project has been set for coming April.
The first phase of the seven km long project to be completed at an estimated cost of Rs.194 crore. The first 2.7 kilometre stretch from the Bhagwati Nagar bridge to the Bikram Chowk bridge, including the central island and riverfronts on both sides of river Tawi, will be developed while the 4.3 kilometre stretch beyond the Bikram Chowk bridge will be taken up under Phase-II later. The phase-1 is envisaged with modern public utilities and state-of-the-art green space.
Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL) has recently signed the contract agreement with Shree Balaji Engicons for the development of right and left banks of River Tawi . Under the project, 3.5 KM (both side) long river front is proposed to be completed in two phases. The first phase starts from 4th bridge to Tawi Bridge and phase two from Tawi Bridge to Gujjar Nagar Bridge. The pathways would be constructed on both the sides (banks) of the river to provide easy access to the public. This project also comprises bank protection of River Tawi with broad salient features of construction of diaphragm walls, lower promenade, retaining wall, embankment construction.
JSCL is focused on improving the quality of life of people by enabling local development and harnessing technology to create smart outcomes for citizens.
The state government has spent more than Rs.57 crore on the project in the past decade, after its foundation stone was laid by the then chief minister Omar Abdullah on December 5, 2009. After missing the first target date in 2012, the contractor missed five other deadlines in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, when the contractor stopped work.
According to the initial project plan, an auto-mechanical barrage would be constructed on the river, one kilometre downstream of the main Tawi bridge. This will help create an artificial lake at Belicharana. The 1,500-metre-long and 600-metre-wide artificial lake, a first-of-its-kind here, will give a new dimension to tourism in Jammu city, officials said.
In Phase-II of the project, beautification and embankment works are to be taken up under the Tawi Riverfront Development Project for which an MoU has already been signed by Jammu Development Authority (JDA) with the Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation (SRFDC). A DPR has been prepared in this regard.
As part of the beautification project, a park was inaugurated by former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in the area in 2015.
