BHUBANESWAR: Flood control in Subarnarekha river that passes through three states including Odisha continues to remain a cause of concern as construction of a dam and common canals are yet to be completed due to lack of proper coordination between the states.
In 1978, there was a tripartite agreement at New Delhi between Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar (before formation of Jharkhand state) governments on Subarnarekha irrigation project (SIP) for flood control as well as large-scale irrigation.
Flash floods during monsoon wreak havoc killing people and damaging property worth crores in the north Odisha region almost every year as the project is yet to be completed due to incomplete Ichha dam over Kharkhai river.
As per the agreement, though joint control board meetings have been conducted five times between 1981 and 2001 besides, 10 executive committee meetings and 26 technical committee meetings so far, several bilateral issues of joint works by Odisha and Jharkhand are yet to be resolved.
Four projects were being executed by Jharkhand government with costs shared by both Odisha and West Bengal. Odisha shares the cost of Ichha dam, Galudih barrage, and common canal off taking from Galudih barrage and also, Chandil dam.
The works on Ichha dam, a major component of the SIP that will help for storage of Odisha share of water, have been stopped since March 2020 and only dykes have been completed so far. The rehabilitation and resettlement for the dam being built at a cost of Rs 970.38 crore have been completed for a maximum water level of 213 metre instead of proposed 225 metre.
While Chandli dam over Subarnarekha river has been completed, it is not storing water up to full reservoir level (FRL) of 192 mtr due to rehabilitation and resettlement issues. There are two villages within the 183 mtr and 185 mtr level and storing water level can not increase if they are not evacuated.
However, Galudih barrage across Subarnarekha river and Galudih right bank canal off-taking from the barrage have been completed with the State share of 86.2 per cent (pc) and 94 pc cost respectively.
Financial anomalies
Even as Odisha has been insisting for resumption of Ichha dam work, Jharkhand is said to have been delaying it over issues on cost sharing.
Of the total expenditure of Rs 2,238.05 crore on the joint components, the share of Odisha is Rs 1,080.7 crore and the State government has deposited Rs 1,026.9 crore. This apart, Odisha has spent around Rs 280.75 crore for land acquisition for Ichha dam.
Since at 26.46 pc, the share of the State is Rs 74.29 crore, it wants the rest Rs 206.46 crore to be adjusted towards joint work executed by Jharkhand.
But the Jharkhand government claimed as revised estimate, provision of land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement of Ichha dam in Odisha portion has not been included as per advice of Central Water Commission, adjustment of Rs 206.46 crore is not possible at this time.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has demanded that the total cost of Ichha dam should be borne by both the states as per their respective share.
A senior official of the Water Resources department said Jharkhand has been urged to resume work and fix a deadline for early completion.
“We have also proposed to conduct the next executive committee meeting at Bhubaneswar as soon as possible to resolve the issues so that the works can be resumed,” he added.