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J-K Govt takes steps to restore lost glory of Weirs | After deciding to restore the lost glory of Weirs (dams along rivers and lakes) in Kashmir Valley, the state government has commenced the revival work on a war-footing. First in line for this makeover
is the iron-made Weir on River Jhelum, both aesthetically and for strengthening
its failing structure. The Irrigation and Flood Control Department of Jammu and
Kashmir has already started the work on the small dam. It is also said that this
weir in Kashmir is the only manually operated weir in the entire world. A local
resident recalled the time when the Weir was a major tourist attraction. "This
Weir was a spot where tourists used to come and Kashmir is known for its water
bodies in the world. Today, when tourists come to see the riverbed, it looks very
shabby. They don't get to see the Kashmir which they must have heard about. This
restoration will correct it. That is why the importance of this work increases,"
said Riyaz Ahmad, a local residing near River Jhelum. The restoration work is
crucial since this dam is the only link for the people to communicate between
the two banks. The department has decided to make the river upstream and its adjoining
channels within the city easily navigable. The cost of this historical restoration
is nine crore rupees (90 million rupees) and soon the department will be installing
a stainless steel base to replace the old but similar structure constructed by
the Maharaja of Kashmir. Another hurdle that the engineers had t encounter was
that there was no blueprint of the original Weir to plan the restoration. "It
was totally defunct. Now, the present government has given it the first priority.
This is a heritage structure and the restoration should be made. The plan did
not have any design and no documentation earlier and so last year we made a fresh
plan to recreate it," said Mir Najeeb-Ullah, Chief Engineer, Irrigation and Flood
Control Department. The traditional Shikara boats, one of the prime attractions
of Kashmir valley also ply along this water route. As history goes, the Weir was
constructed when Kashmir was considered a princely state during the British rule
in India and took four years to be completed (1903-1907). Until 1988, this Weir
was successfully operated manually. The Irrigation and Flood Control Department
tried to unsuccessfully rebuild it in 2003 but the sorry state of the structure
left the department hapless. It took the engineers and architects meticulous study
to come out with the current plan of restoration, which will enable them to only
strengthen the physical structure and its aesthetics. |
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