Work on the Chandil canal in progress. Telegraph picture

Jamshedpur, July 29: Construction work on two dams on the Subernarekha is likely to begin soon, giving hope to neighbouring Bengal that East and West Midnapore districts will perhaps be saved of perennial flooding in the years to come.

Officials of Jharkhand and Bengal today met here to chalk out joint strategies to minimise floods in the neighbouring state due to the overflowing of the Chandil and Galudih barrages under the much-delayed Subernarekha Multipurpose Project (SMP).

Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, held here at the Centre for Excellence, officials from the state water resource department claimed they were hopeful of completing the Chandil and Galudih dam construction within a year.

But as of now, they conceded Chandil dam was incapable of providing any relief to Bengal from floods. “There are no sluice gates in the Chandil, meaning excess water will keep over-flowing. Moreover, the second barrage at Galudih that can provide some relief to Bengal is awaiting forest land clearance,” said A.K. Rastogi, the principal secretary of state water resource department. “However, the good news is that work on the two dam projects could begin soon as we have received stage one clearance for forest land,” he said.

Rastogi said the SMP has been provided Rs 102 crore that would be distributed among displaced families near the Chandil dam. Most of these families are still residing near catchment areas that would be inundated once the sluice gates are constructed.

So far, the displaced families haven’t been provided compensation as per norms.

Recently, the Centre gave conditional clearance for acquiring 1,665 acres of forest land to be used for the Galudih barrage and its catchment areas. This, added, Rastogi would help the state begin work on both the dams.

M L Meena, principal secretary in Bengal’s department of environment, conceded that the SMP is one of the main causes of floods in East and West Midnapore districts. However, he maintained today’s joint meeting was able to chalk out strategies that would help the state in the future.

“It has been decided that Jharkhand would provide prior information in case dam gates were being opened. We will also hold such meetings every year at the onset of the monsoon season,” said Meena.

The Jharkhand government has also decided to hold a similar meeting with Orissa to fight the floods in Jamshedpur. “Opening of dams in Orissa caused the recent floods in Jamshedpur. If we have a similar mechanism for sharing information with Orissa, we can surely minimise devastation since the water released from Banquel and Kharkai dams takes at least eight hours to reach the steel city,” added Rastogi.