Postponed for 13th Five-Year Plan (2017-21) after missing two deadlines The cleaning of the Tawi river might take years as the state has now decided to wait for the 13th Five-Year Plan (2017-21) to divert highly polluting drains that merge with the river. Sources said it could affect the completion of the much-hyped Tawi Lake project which could become a major tourist attraction for tourists and lakhs of pilgrims who visit religious places in the Jammu region. Officials said the Public Health Engineering Department and Irrigation Department had gone slow in diverting more than 16 drains as they were facing shortage of funds and had decided to wait for the 13th Five-Year plan to complete the project. The river is also a major source of irrigation and drinking water for the city. At present, to deal with the problem of discharge of sewerage, Jammu has been divided the city into division A, B, C, and D, comprised of area lying between the Balole nullah to the right bank of the Tarore nullah. “With fund shortage and unplanned approach to deal with the project, people may not get to see the lake in the coming years. The work on the prestigious Tawi barrage (lake) project was left midway last year following the failure of the government to divert 18 drains and connect them with sewerage lines,” said an official source. The Rs 69.70-crore Tawi Barrage project was expected to be completed in 2012. Till now, Rs 37.32 crore have been spend. The first deadline expired in October 2012, which was extended to March 30, 2013. A delayed affair Under the project, 16 drains in the city polluting the Tawi have to be diverted. When completed, it can become a major tourist attraction for tourists and lakhs of pilgrims who visit religious places in the Jammu region The first deadline for the Rs 69.70 crore Tawi Barrage project expired in October 2012. It was then extended to March 30, 2013