Hamirpur (HP), Oct 7 (FN Agency) Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Sports and Youth Affairs, Anurag Singh on Friday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Shekhawat on the approval of five flood protection projects in Himachal Pradesh at a cost of about Rs 2167.72 crore by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti. After the 150th meeting of the Irrigation, Flood Control and Multipurpose Project Advisory Committee under the chairmanship of Secretary, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Department, Fina Singh Multipurpose Project including flood protection projects in Suketi Khad, Swan River and Seer Khad and various other gorges. The flood protection project has been approved for the state. In a statement, Anurag Thakur said, “Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has always considered Himachal Pradesh as his second home and has approved all necessary projects as per the requirement of Himachal.
Due to the divine calamity in the hilly state of Himachal, floods are common in every rainy season, due to which there is a lot of loss of life and property every year.Keeping this in view, I met Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Shekhawat ji, raising this issue in front of him, and raised the demand for flood protection projects in Himachal. It is a matter of great pleasure that the Minister of Jal Shakti, giving his approval to my demand, has given his approval to five flood protection projects in Himachal at a cost of ` 2167.72 crore. I express my gratitude to respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Shekhawat ji for this approval”. Anurag Thakur said that projects in Himachal have been approved by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in my own Hamirpur parliamentary constituency. The Fina Singh Multipurpose Project will generate 1.88 MW of power at a cost of Rs 643.68 crore. Flood protection measures and canal construction project on Suketi Khad River as well as its tributaries are to be taken up under Beas catchment area in Mandi district.
More than 41 thousand people will benefit from this project and 881 hectare areas will be protected. The total expenditure on this project is estimated to be Rs 485.23 crore.Similarly, a project to provide flood protection measures for Swan River and its tributaries will be taken up in Amb tehsil of Una district. More than 14 thousand people will benefit from this project and 510 hectare area will be protected. The estimated cost of the projects is Rs 339.25 crore. The third project, flood protection and erosion prevention measures for various ravines will be taken up in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh and will benefit more than 23 thousand people and will protect an area of 811 hectares. The estimated cost of this project is Rs 504.07 crore. Finally, the flood protection works on Seer Khad are estimated to cost Rs 195.49 crore and will be carried out from Talwara village of Ghumarwin tehsil of Bilaspur district to Balaghat.
This project will benefit more than 14 thousand people and more than 179 hectares will be protected.He said that these projects will go a long way in minimizing the loss of life and property due to river floods in the state. The Modi government is committed to the welfare of the people of Himachal Pradesh and this is one of the many steps taken in that direction. In view of the demand of the people and the development of the area in the past, in the year 2000, the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Prem Kumar Dhumal, allocated Rs. The project aimed at coastalization of 77 tributaries , mainly along the Swan River, with the Center and the State spending 90% and 10% respectively. So far, about 12000 hectares of land has been made cultivable in Una district due to self-coastalisation , which has brought relief to the farmers. Now this present demand will go a long way in minimizing the loss of life and property due to river floods in the state.