Rs 200 cr earmarked for restoration of 9 polluted river stretches
25000 houses likely to be completed
Srinagar, April 04:Under smart city mission, 40 projects of different sectors under convergence and public-private partnership (PPP) mode are expected to be completed during this financial year.
According to budget 2021-22 tabled by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Rs 200 crore has been earmarked in 2021-22 for rejuvenation and restoration of nine identified polluted river stretches by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT).
In February, Jammu and Kashmir administration released Rs 136 crore as central share for the development of Srinagar and Jammu as smart cities under the central government’s ambitious Smart City Mission.
As per official figures, of total Rs 136 crore, Rs 68 crores each have been released for Jammu and Srinagar smart city mission, taking the total releases made so far to J&K to Rs 252 crore.
The Smart Cities Mission was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015 for the development of 100 Smart Cities across the country.
Under the Mission, both the capital cities of Jammu and Kashmir were selected by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the third round of competition held in the month of June 2017.
As per the timeline fixed by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the cities which were selected in the third round are required to complete all the projects between 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Sitharaman said the government’s main focus is to improve the quality of life of the people by way of providing WiFi facilities, smart health centres, up gradation of historical markets, installation of vending machines, smart class rooms, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, illumination of river banks, development of cycle tracks/hawker zones, development of parking and space under flyovers.
Similarly, Under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), seven projects shall be completed in the next financial year which include Panjtirthi Multi Level Parking, Sewerage Treatment of five Nallahs of Tawi River at Jammu, Cycle track at Srinagar, Drainage at Trikuta Nagar, Multi Level Parking at Srinagar, Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMs) phase-II, Srinagar and Water Supply scheme, Rangil.
For the Housing and Urban Development Sector, the Government of India (GoI) has allocated about Rs 2,710 crore for the year 2021-22 which is Rs 1,432 crore more than the previous year’s budget allocation.
Under Swachh Bharat Mission and Solid Waste Management, 16 new Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) with 74 MLD capacity shall be installed which will cater nearly two lakh households. 25 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are targeted to achieve the status of ODF+ category.
“100 percent installation of LED street lights shall be ensured in all the 78 ULBs,” Sitharaman said.
“Our endeavour shall be to have 100 percent source segregation and Door to Door collection of waste. We will be establishing a SWM plant at Srinagar and Jammu for scientific disposal of about 850 MT of waste per day,” the finance minister said.
“We will establish decentralized processing units of waste management in 76 ULBs for scientific disposal of 690 MT of waste,” Sitharaman said. “Hull based bio-digesters shall be installed in house boats, aerators also shall be installed and de-weeding machines shall be procured.”
Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), 25000 houses are likely to be completed in 2021-22. To identify genuine beneficiaries get the real benefits of the scheme 50,000 beneficiary houses shall be geo-tagged in 2021-22.
