After the Union Cabinet’s approval to long-pending Mandal Dam, the agency with the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has floated a tender to complete the multipurpose project. WAPCOS limited on behalf of the Ministry has put the estimated cost of the initial works at Rs 35.13 crore which has to be completed within 15 months.
Top officials with the Department of Water Resources said that the GoI agency had been handed over entire responsibility to see the irrigation-cum-electricity generation project situated on North Koel river in latehar through.
WAPCOS invited the bids on August 18 for completion of balance work comprising of dam and appurtenant works along with barrage (Afflux and Guide Bund). Pre- bid meeting for the contractors has been called on August 28 while date of tender closing has been fixed on September 15.
“Earlier, there were talks about completing the common works concerning Jharkhand and Bihar by the Centre but now even major individual work components are also to be done by the Ministry. There are some minor canal building works and related land acquisitions which are continuing on our part,” said Principal Secretary with the Department Sukhdev Singh.
The common components amounting to Rs 1013.11 crore of balance works would be funded by the Centre as grant. Jharkhand (Rs 31.23 crore) and Bihar (Rs 212.43 crore) will arrange 40 per cent of remaining cost of balance works as loan from NABARD at market rate with no interest subvention.
Although the prerequisite wildlife clearance has come, the State Government is yet to acquire forest clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF).
“There were some initial resistance from the MoEF about effects on wildlife of the Palamu Tiger Reserve but with reduction of height of the dam this is gone and the clearance is acquired. But the forest clearance is still pending which is related to submergence of 1007 hectares of forest land. We are hoping to get the nod in a month time or so since the PMO is directly pursuing the matter,” added Singh.
Sources with the Forest and Environment Department, however, maintained that the MoEF had sent a set of queries to it to answer. “We have been contacted for some clarification related to diversion of forest land and replies have been sent. These are technical in nature,” said a top forest official with the State Government.
WAPCOS, at the same time, is also going to appoint an agency for topographical survey for condition assessment of right and left canals and cross section of branch canals, distributaries etc of the North Koel project at estimated cost of Rs 56.00 lakh.
Major breakthrough was arrived on August 15 regarding the dam languishing since 1972 when the Union Cabinet gave its approval to the proposal to complete its balance works at an estimated expenditure of Rs 1622.27 crore to be incurred during three financial years from the start of the project.
With the new lowered elevation level of 341 metre, the Mandal dam will now have storage of 190 MCM. The project aims to provide irrigation to 111,521 hectares of land annually in the most backward and drought prone areas of Palamu and Garhwa districts in Jharkhand and Aurangabad and Gaya districts in Bihar besides producing 24 MW of hydropower.