A stretch of the canal in Bokaro. (Pankaj Singh)

Bokaro, Jan. 21: The Tenughat dam and the canal that supplies water to Bokaro and its neighbourhood are in trouble forcing the irrigation department to SOS its headquarters in Ranchi for urgent repairs.

The 32km-long channel, which sources water from Damoder river and supplies it to Bokaro steel city, Bokaro steel plant, Tenughat Thermal power station, Chandrapura thermal power station, Chas and Bermo, is choking due to ever-increasing silt and lack of maintenance.

“It is facing acute silting problem. For years, industrial units have been discharging waste into the canal due to which the channel-bed has risen by 15ft, choking the water flow and making it prone to breaches,” said Suraj Kapadar, the executive engineer of irrigation department in charge of the canal.

Worried over the sorry state of affairs, Kapadar has demanded urgent funds from the Central Water Commission and the state irrigation department to dredge the silt and repair the channel.

“When the state earns Rs 25 crore in revenue from the reservoir and the channel, why can’t it spend a part of the amount in maintaining it properly? There is no funds crunch, it is nothing but criminal negligence,” said Sanjay Tewary, the chief of communications, Bokaro Steel Plant, which pays Rs 73 lakh to the irrigation department for using canal water.

Age has caught up with the canal, built along with Tenughat reservoir in 1973. It is dotted with cracks and fissures. At various points the cement slabs have broken. The canal breached its embankment at several points and many villages in Bermo were flooded in 2007 and 2008.

“Water supply to canal had to be stopped till the damaged portions were plugged. The process took a week and Bokaro had to do with water from the cooling pond meant for use in the steel factory,” said Tewary.

Asked about the funds SOS, water resources secretary Sukhdeo Singh said: “We have got a formal request for funds. The government will do the needful to repair the canal and maintain the reservoir at the earliest.”