IF ALL goes well, Srinagar shall soon have the water transport facility available from Pampore to Chattabal through Jhelum River as a comprehensive plan has been formulated by the Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Office.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon chaired a high level meeting to review beautification of River Jhelum and to develop in land water transport facility from Pampore to Chattabal Wier.

“A comprehensive plan of Rs. 323 crore has been formulated and submitted to the concerned authorities for approval. The plan envisages plying of vessels for passenger transport as an alternative to road transport owing to frequent traffic jams and conjunction in greater Srinagar city,” said the press release.

The plan also covers drugging of river Jehlum for providing corridor for plying of passenger vessels and shall mitigate the flood threat to Srinagar city to a greater extent as well.

The bunds shall be developed on the pattern of beautification of River Jehlum from Sonawar to Dubji Ghat. 12 terminal buildings have been proposed to be constructed from Pampore to Chattabal.

The Department of Tourism suggested starting the inland water transport from Zero Bridge to Chattabal in the first instance after obtaining license from Irrigation and Flood Control department for plying of ferries and the operations shall be carried out under the control of Irrigation and Flood Control department till the comprehensive project report framed by Irrigation and Flood Control department is approved by competent authority.

It was also decided that Municipal authorities will ensure that the stretch from Zero Bridge to Chattabal of River Jehlum shall be made garbage free.

The representatives of the community present in the meeting appreciated the move and hoped that it would reduce the load on the traffic to a certain extent.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Baseer Khan, Commissioner, SMC Sheikh Mushtaq, Director Tourism Kashmir, Farooq Ahmed, Chief Engineers of IFC, R&B, EM&RE and MED, Superintendent of Traffic Police, Haseeb-ur-Rehman, besides community representatives from Raj Bagh.

The Tourism Department would provide two motor boats on an experimental basis for starting water transport facility from Sonawar to Chattabal Wier. The department would also provide street lights along the banks of the river to make it more attractive.