Kargil, November 10: Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC Kargil, Dr. Mohd. Jaffer Akhoon today attended the inaugural ceremony of the ₹9.97 crore Lift Irrigation Scheme Sodh Phase-I, which was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Shri Kavinder Gupta.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Akhoon congratulated the people of Sodh for the fulfillment of their long-pending demand and acknowledged the hardships faced by the residents due to recurring drought-like conditions in the past. He noted that these situations had severely impacted the agricultural sector of the region.
Dr. Akhoon appreciated the consistent efforts of former Minister of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, Qamar Ali Akhoon; former CECs, Kacho Ahmad Ali and Feroz Ahmed Khan; and Councillors Manzoor Ahmed and Mohd. Amin, whose dedication and perseverance made this long-awaited project a reality.
The CEC also extended his gratitude to MP Ladakh, Shri Hanifa Jan, for continuously raising the issue of the Sodh area in Parliament. He further commended departments such as Irrigation & Flood Control (I&FC), Public Health Engineering (PHE), and Mechanical Division for their tireless efforts in turning this dream project into a success.
Dr. Akhoon highlighted that the second phase of the project has already been sanctioned and approved by the UT Administration and requested the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor to direct the concerned departments to expedite the remaining works. He also proposed the establishment of a solar power plant to lift water from the source, emphasizing that it would significantly reduce the operational electricity costs of the project.
Speaking on the occasion, MP Ladakh, Shri Hanifa Jan, congratulated the people of Sodh and stated that their long-pending demand has finally been fulfilled. He said that the Sodh area possesses a vast command area that had remained underutilized due to a lack of irrigation facilities. The completion of this scheme, he added, will give a major boost to agriculture and horticulture, thereby improving the economic conditions of the local population.
The project, executed by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department under the Special Development Package (SDP) Scheme, has been completed at a total cost of ₹9.97 crore.
