Dova construction works in the State have been stopped amid onset of monsoon. According to both of the departments involved in getting these water bodies constructed, dova construction has been stopped for the time being. Rain and mud-filled roads and fields have made it unsafe for labourers as well as machines to reach to sites, said officials.
About 175,000 dobhas have been dug up by two Government Departments so far for conservation of rain water during monsoon. Among them, around 1,00,000 dovas has been constructed under MGNREGA and rest have been built by Agriculture Department. These Dobhas were supposed to be used mainly in irrigation activities. But the dovas have become death trap and the list of people dying in these water bodies is turning bigger day by day.
“Though no letter has been sent or orders have been passed formally as within a week or so to stop the work. But we have intimated through social networking mobile application WhatsApp right before arrival of monsoon to all those involved in dova construction that the works would remain suspended till monsoon departs,” said Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Principal Secretary NN Sinha.
Experts claim that Rural Development Department has got dovas constructed through earth moving machines (mainly JCBs), which have defective designs where cases of children death are taking place. There were plans of fencing these dovas to stop such types of death. Sinha said, “We have asked all types of developments to stop till monsoon is there. It includes fencing work also.”
MGNREGA Commissioner Siddharth Tripathi also said that the construction of new dova has been stopped till state is under clouds of monsoon. “We can’t compromise with the life of any worker,” said Tripathi.