Flood protection works being carried out in the areas affected by the June 2013 disaster seemed to have suffered a setback with the Central Government releasing only eight per cent of the fund it had promised to Uttarakhand for the same purpose during the past one and half a year. Even as the State Government already releasing its share of the fund for the said works to executive agencies concerned, the Central Government has failed to release its share of the total fund. Which is why, the flood protection and repair works would not be able to carry out further, an official in the know of the development said.
“We have almost carried out 60 per cent of flood protection and repair works in disaster affected areas of the Kumaon division including Pithoragarh, Bageshwar to name a few places post natural disaster of 2013,” said DC Singh, Chief Engineer, State Irrigation department (Kumaon Division). An amount of Rs188 crore has already been sanctioned for carrying out the woks in the Kumaon division. Out of this amount, the State Government has released its share of 30 per cent, but the Centre has released only 8 per cent, informed Singh.
An amount of Rs100 crore has been sanctioned for Pithoragarh district, while an amount of Rs30 crore has been allocated for Bageshwar district, Rs20 crore each for Almora and Champawat and Rs10 crore for Uham Singh Nagar for the same purpose has been released so far, said officials, adding that the rest of Rs8 crore would be spent in other parts of the region. It may be recalled that an amount of Rs500 crore Central Relief Fund was allocated for carrying out repair works mainly flood protection works and construction of embankments in Uttarakhand i.e. Rs312 crore for the Garhwal division and Rs188 crore for the Kumaon division.
Mention worthy, the Central Government has not only delayed the release of the aforesaid fund but also made certain changes in the central relief fund rules. Earlier the Centre used to grant Central relief funds in the 90:10 ratio to States. Now, under the new guidelines, the same fund will be available in 70:30 ratio in which the Centre would provide 70 per cent of the total fund while the respective State has to pay rest of the central relief fund i. e. 30 per cent.
It may be recalled that whether it is the Garhwal division’s Kedarnath Valley or adjacent parts or Dharchula, Munsyari, Kapkot to name a few areas of the Kumaon division, flooded rivers inflicted huge damage into these parts of the Himalayan State during the monsoon of 2013 . Keeping in view of the rivers’ fury that wrecked havoc in Uttarakhand in 2013 monsoon season, the then Vijay Bahuguna led State Government stressed on the need to construct embankments and do necessary flood protection works. But the same repairs have not yet been completed.