The collapse in the Konar canal in Bagodar was not caused due to any construction lapse, said a probe report of Water Resource Department on Friday. The collapse and subsequent inundation was caused due to untimely closing of the canal’s gate which led to “overtopping”, it said.
The Chief Engineer of the project, Hemant Kumar on Friday clarified that the part of the canal which collapsed on Thursday morning was made of mud, and therefore construction lapse should be ruled out.
“The gate of the canal was closed at around 2 am on Thursday. By morning, water overtopped and overflowed. There was no lapse in the construction,” said Kumar, adding that some officials may face actions due to their carelessness. Sources from the site said that the left side of the main canal collapsed due to water pressure as it was “kuttcha”.
The collapse happened hardly a few hours after Chief Minister Raghubar Das inaugurated it on Wednesday. The malfunction in the 42-year-old project worth Rs 2,300 crore brought the Government at the crosshairs of political oppositions. Water Resources Minister Ram Chandra Sahis ordered a probe into the breach on Thursday. Later, Water Resource Secretary Arun Kumar Singh constituted a three-member probe team headed by Kumar and gave it 24 hours to submit a report.
The canal, Kumar said, will be restored within a week and added measures will be taken to prevent any malfunction in the days to come. Actions will be taken against officials found guilty of carelessness, he added.
The project dates back to the days of erstwhile Bihar. Foundation for the project was laid by the united Bihar government in 1977 by then Bihar Governor Jagarnath Kaushal. The project cost of the multi-purpose irrigation scheme reached Rs 2,300 crore, from the initial Rs 11.43 crore when it was cleared.
The collapse not only drew flak for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but also caused loss to crops in the neighbouring villages. Water inundated crops in nearly 35 villages in Bagodar block at the time of the incident and caused a major uproar by farmers. The destruction of crops assumes significance as around 14 districts in Jharkhand are being assessed for drought this year. Last year, the Centre had declared 93 blocks from 18 districts drought-affected.
