2 min readMumbaiJul 18, 2015 01:20 AM IST
First published on: Jul 18, 2015 at 01:19 AM IST
The government would take up repairs of these dams on priority and grant special administrative approvals. (Express Photo)
A third of the major dams across the state have developed defects that need immediate repairs, shows a survey by the irrigation department.
Of the 1,231 major dams, 403 have major or rectifiable deficiencies.
According to the survey report, three major dams —Ambeghar and Kudki dam in Konkan’s Raigad, and Nignur in Vidarbha’s Yavatmal — had defects that could lead to failure and were a threat to dam safety.
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Peasants and Workers Party legislator Subhash Patil on Friday raised a calling attention motion in the Legislative Assembly on the safety of dams in Maharashtra.
Minister of State (Water Resources) Vijay Shivtare revealed findings of the latest survey during discussion on the motion. Shivtare later said that the government would take up repairs of these dams on priority and grant a special administrative approval for these works. Surveys to verify the health of dams are carried out before and after each monsoon.
He informed the house that the defects developed in Raigad’s Kudki dam had been rectified, while works on the other two dams with major deficiencies was pending.
During the discussion on the issue, legislators from both the ruling and Opposition benches complained of inferior quality of work by contractors in dam projects, demanding action against them.
Earlier during the question hour, the Maharashtra government strongly contended that it did not have any water to spare for Gujarat from the Par-Tapi-Narmada river interlinking project. While the Opposition tried to target the Fadnavis government reiterating its accusation that surplus water was being diverted to Gujarat, the Chief Minister returned the accusation, stating that it was the Congress, NCP government that had agreed to share surplus water with Gujarat. “We stopped it,” he said.
Shivtare also announced during a discussion on the interlinking project, that it won’t take off unless Fadnavis’s demand in this regard to the Centre is met.
The government would take up repairs of these dams on priority and grant special administrative approvals. (Express Photo)
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