BHUBANESWAR: After successful rehabilitation of 26 dams in the first phase under the World Bank-funded dam rehabilitation and improvement project (DRIP), the state government has taken up six more projects in the second phase of the programme.Of the six dams, three are in Keonjhar district and rest in Angul, Boudh and Ganjam districts.
The state government had submitted a proposal to the Central Water Commission (CWC) for rehabilitation and safety improvement of 36 dams with an estimated cost of Rs 933 crore. After screening of the state proposals, the central project monitoring unit of the CWC recommended 13 dams for the approval of the World Bank. Proposals of nine dams to the tune of Rs 53 crore have been approved by the World Bank.
Meanwhile, the Water Resources department has awarded the contract of six dams at an estimated cost of Rs 31.67 crore. Kanjhari, a medium irrigation project and Ardei and Jagadala, two minor irrigation projects in Keonjhar district, Rengali dam in Angul district, Jagatghai in Ganjam district and Domkutch in Boudh district have been taken up for rehabilitation.
Of the other three approved projects, tender for Laigaon and Parhel dams in Boudh district is under preparation while the process of tendering for Randa dam at Nayagarh is yet to start.This was informed by Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu in Rajya Sabha while replying to a query from BJD MP Sasmit Patra.
On the socio-economic benefit to the state, the minister said the rehabilitation of the dams will help in enhancing safety and operational performance and ensure that they serve the intended purpose sustainably. The scheme has provision for preparation of dam specific operation and maintenance manuals as well as emergency action plans which will help in improving the disaster resilience of the dams as well as downstream community.
Official sources here said that the state government has signed two separate agreements with World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for a loan of 4.89 million dollar each for dam rehabilitation. The sharing pattern between the two external financial agencies and state government is 70:30 and the project implementation period will end on December 31, 2027.