BHUBANESWAR: As concern grows over possible water scarcity in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and adjoining areas owing to Mahanadi dispute and ever increasing demand of the region, the state government has taken up construction of two barrage projects over Kuakhai and Kusabhadra rivers to meet the water supply needs of the twin cities as well as Khurda district in near future.
Sources in the Water Resources department said another barrage project on Daya river near Basantpur is also in the pipeline. The project will be executed after the tender process is completed. According to sources, the two barrages or the in-stream storage structures (ISSs), to be constructed over Kuakhai and Kusabhadra at an investment of around `215 crore, will have a combined water holding capacity of 776 hectare metre to ease the water supply demand of the region, especially during summer months.
However, with the government planning to take up the dredging work in upper-catchment of both the rivers, the water-holding capacity of both the storage structures may even get doubled. “Once completed, the Kuakhai ISS will be able to hold water up to the level of 5 metres, while Kusabhadra ISS will have the potential to store water up to the level of 4 metres,” said an engineer of the Water Resources department.
He said water from Mundali can also be drawn to both the storage facilities via Puri canal in the event of any scarcity during summer which is a major advantage of constructing the two barrages. “This will make water resources management more efficient,” he said.
The engineer said DD Builders Ltd has been awarded the work of the Kuakhai ISS, while LCC Projects Pvt Ltd has been chosen to take up the construction work of Kusabhadra barrage project, through global tenders. The proposed ISSs will be first such projects to be taken up on both the rivers. Designs of both the projects have been finalised by the government. The Kuakhai barrage will be 192 metre in length, while Kusabhadra barrage will be 141 metre long.
Project work of both the ISSs has already started. “The cofferdam work of the project at Kuakhai has already been completed. Once the water is pumped out from the enclosure, barrage construction work will be started,” said an official from the department. Besides, he said the foundation work of the Kusabhadra ISS is also in progress. The government has set two years deadline for both the projects, the official said.