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| Damodar Valley Corporation. Telegraph picture |
Ranchi, July 29: Increasing demand of water for industrial and other purposes has prompted the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) to do a comprehensive study on available water resources of Damodar basin.
A Delhi-based agency — WAPCOS that functions under the Union ministry of water resources — has been engaged for the study and preparation of a master plan for development and optimum utilisa-tion of water resources of Damodar basin.
The study would be based on the terms of reference finalised after discussions with the state governments of Jharkhand and Bengal.
The plan envisages construction of one dam at Balpahari in Jharkhand between Tilaiya and Maithon dams of DVC on Barakar river. This would enhance life of Maithon dam by 60 years. It would also irrigate one lakh acres in Jharkhand besides providing 414 million cubic metres (MCM) water. It would also help in flood control and setting up conventional hydel plants of 2x10 MW.
The upper valley consists of Dhanbad and Bokaro and parts of eight other districts of Jharkhand — Hazaribagh, Koderma, Giridih, Chatra, Palamau, Ranchi, Lohardaga and Dumka. Lower valley comprises parts of five districts of Bengal — Burdwan, Hooghly, Howrah, Bankura and Purulia.
An official document in possession of The Telegraph suggests that last comprehensive plan of water resources in Damodar basin was devised 64 years ago in 1944. Due to shortcoming in earlier plan is concerned, many reservoirs either could not be constructed or proposed storage level was not achieved due to constraints in acquiring the required land. In the new plan these problems would be sorted out, said a DVC official.
The fresh master plan prepared by WAPCOS in under Central Water Commission (CWC) guidance. “Only about 34 per cent of planned storage capacity could be put for use. Demands are increasing day by day,” the document states.
Resident director of DVC K.K. Singh refused to divulge much details but maintained that DVC was serious on the job and stressed they would be able to tell exactly only after gettin final report by WAPCOS.
