VIJAYAWADA: The Centre has included 31 dams of Andhra Pradesh in the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) II and III phases for their rehabilitation and safety improvement with an outlay of Rs 667 crore. The State government has so far prepared the rehabilitation proposals for three projects -- Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, Srisailam and Raiwada Reservoir, and submitted them to the Central Water Commission for getting the approval of the World Bank.
Proposals of the remaining dams under the project are yet to be prepared by the State government, informed Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu.
The Union Minister told YSRC MP V Vijayasai Reddy in the Rajya Sabha that the Centre has taken up DRIP Phase-II and III envisaging rehabilitation and safety improvement of 736 dams located in 19 States with a budget outlay of Rs 10,211 crore. The DRIP Phase-II has become operational from October 12, 2021, and is being co-financed by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank.
In response to Vijayasai Reddy’s question as to whether the Centre was aware of the leakage of Rayala Cheruvu Dam due to heavy rains in November 2021 and the reasons for not including it in DRIP II or III phases for rehabilitation, Tudu said the AP government informed the Jal Shakti Ministry about the leakage of Rayala Cheruvu Dam and sliding of bund during rains in the third week of November 2021.
“Temporary restoration work was taken up by the State government on a war footing and the leakage was plugged through the tank bund and further damage was prevented. The people living in the downstream of the tank were evacuated and rehabilitated. Since no further damage occurred to the tank bund, the people were again settled in their own houses safely. Further, the AP government had informed that to strengthen the bund, estimates have been prepared for permanent restoration work of Rayala Cheruvu Dam at a cost of Rs 25.20 crore,’’ the Union Minister explained.
AP is one of the participating States in the DRIP II & III phases, but due to non-fulfilment of project readiness criteria of the World Bank and the Centre’s Department of Economic Affairs, the State is yet to be formally included in it. The dams selected for rehabilitation are proposed by the States and the AP government has not proposed Rayala Cheruvu for rehabilitation, he said.