Tenughat dam

Bokaro, July 8: Built in the late 60s to supply water to Bokaro steel plant and the township, Tenughat dam is now looking to increase capacity by more than 40 per cent to fulfil growing demand from new industries, Dhanbad and even parts of Bengal.

Tenughat dam, whose concrete canal snakes through the district for about 34 km, now plans to store in its reservoir 882 feet of water as opposed to the present 850 feet.

Dam authorities have, therefore, decided to acquire 494 acre in Gomia block to raise the capacity of the dam to store an additional 6.87 lakh acre feet of water — water levels being measured in terms of height above sea level — to ultimately cater to the entire zone spread across 100 sq km.

More than Rs 12 crore has been set aside compensation to be handed out to more than 250 local residents who stand to lose their land and homes for the expansion project.

Executive engineer of Tenughat dam Suraj Kapardar said the expansion plan was cleared about a year back by then water resources secretary Sukhdev Singh.

“Once the capacity of the dam is increased, it will help in supplying water to thermal power stations, industrial houses and the people of the region, including Bermo sub-division, Bokaro thermal, Gomia, Tenughat thermal plant, Chandrapura thermal plant and township and Bokaro steel plant and township,” Kapardar said.

According to sources, the acquisition of 494 acre would displace more than 259 families of Gomia zone. The total cost of the land would amount to Rs 8 crore. The remaining Rs 4 crore will be divided among the displaced families.

Each displaced family would be given Rs 50,000 for buying land and an additional Rs 50,000 for building dwelling units. This apart, each family would get Rs 1.89 lakh and another Rs 75,000 for setting up a small business or shop to earn a livelihood. In addition to this, each family would get Rs 12,000 to meet immediate expenses.

Kapardar hoped the project would be completed by the end of the year by which time several prospective investors looking to set up units here — like ArcelorMittal, Jaypee Cement to name a few — would have made up their minds.