Minister sends experts to check Wanakbori weir

GANDHINAGAR, DEC 25: Taking cognizance of The Indian Express, Major Irrigation Projects Minister Jay Narayan Vyas on Thursday detailed tw...

GANDHINAGAR, DEC 25: Taking cognizance of The Indian Express, Major Irrigation Projects Minister Jay Narayan Vyas on Thursday detailed two senior engineers to the Wanakbori weir, to inquire if there was anything wrong in the maintenance of the structure.

Vyas said he had asked the Superintending Engineer (design) K G Rathod and S E (dam safety) M K Sutariya to rush to the weir, inquire into the lapse, if any, in its maintenance and submit a report by today. Vyas conceded that there was a `minor’ seepage which could be a usual phenomenon in any stone weir. There may be some stone blocks missing on the wall but that can be rectified and would not pose any danger to the structure, he said.

Field officers of the Irrigation Department conduct pre-monsoon and post-monsoon `visual inspections’ of the weir every year. The first inspection is over, and the post-monsoon inspection is due in December/January. “During the pre-monsoon check, this (stone blocks missing) may not have happened, otherwise thatwould have been detected,” he said.

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Vyas said that there was no dam but a 40-year-old weir at Wanakbori, and “a weir is an obstruction put across the river to divert water into its canal”. It is a mechanism to divert the Kadana dam water to areas in Kheda district, he said.

18 fishermen drown

RAJKOT: Eighteen fishermen from Porbunder drowned in the mid-sea off Oman port in the Middle East nine days ago when their boat capsized, delayed reports received here today said.

The fishermen aboard Rajhans, a privately owned boat of Porbunder, had set off for homeland with goods from Oman but were caught in a sea-storm leading to the tragedy. Wives and relatives of the victims, gathered in large number, performed their last rites at the Porbander port, about 200 kms from here today. Kharvavad area of the city observed a bandh to mourn the deceased youths.

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