Repair work at 400 dams in Pune to start soon: Vijay Shivtare

Temghar Dam in Pune district was also listed in Grade-II category, which according to irrigation officials, was of medium hazardous category and rectifiable. Shivtare said for Temghar, the seepage had caused some problem with the structure of the bridge. The minister said “pressure grouting” will be done and the budget will be sanctioned soon.

The survey, besides Temghar Dam, had listed Ambeghar and Kudki Dams in Konkan’s Raigad and Nignur in Yavatmal as highly hazardous or in Grade-I category. The minister said that meetings were called and approval of works had been granted for these dams. The survey of dams is carried out every year to verify the health of dams before the monsoon and six-monthly reports are sought from the irrigation officials.

Besides being listed in the dam safety audit, Temghar, Gunjavani and Nira Deoghar dams have not got the technical “completion construction process”. Just a building gets a completion certificate, the dams get the clearance and incidentally, Temghar had not got the clearance as there was work to be completed.

Asked about Temghar, irrigation officials said that some technical issues are always there and it takes a while before clearance is given. “However, it is only to do with the construction of some gates or canal or leakage works that need to be completed and is not directly related to dam safety,” said the officials.

However, the minister has assured that all this will be looked into for all the dams. In Pune, Gunjawani Dam is 90 per cent complete and because of rehabilitation issues and some remaining construction, the work has not got the clearance certificate while for Nira Deoghar there is the canal work, which has been pending since five to six years.