State Food and Civic supplies Minister Saryu Roy, who is also Jamshedpur West MLA, said that steps are being taken to prevent flood in the city in coming years.
During a two-hour long meeting with engineers of Subernarekha Multipurpose Project (a wing of the State Water resources Department), Mango Notified Area Committee and drinking water and sanitation department at Nirmal Guest House, Roy said that the state water resources department is awaiting a formal approval from Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC) to start a multi-crore river bank strengthening work along Subernarekha and Kharkai rivers spanning from Jugsalai to Ghatshila to prevent flood.
“It is our ambitious project and we are looking forward towards to it. The state water resources department has already sanctioned the river bank strengthening work along Subernarekha and Kharkai between Jugsalai and Galudih barrage in Ghatshila. Now we are expecting a visit of GFCC team from Patna during monsoon so that paper work can be completed and work commence at the ground level after monsoon. As of now, a budget of Rs 118-crore has been sanctioned for river bank strengthening work along Kharkai and Rs 124 crore for areas along Subernarekha,” said Roy.
Meanwhile, the special review committee of the State Government has also approved Rs 1.24 crore for repair of the four sluice gates in Mango. However, the tender process for starting the repair work can begin only after administration’s sanction at the chief secretary level.
Incidentally, four sluice gates had been built by Subernarekha Multipurpose Project (SMP), a unit of state water resources department, at Daiguttu (near Kunwar Basti), Subhas Colony (near Shantinagar), Kapali (near Hargodam) and Sankosai Road 1.
“We are working on a strategy to coordinate in such a way that the there is no negative impact of rains in the city,” said an official.
The East Singhbhum administration has also decided to open up a control room that will coordinate with different agencies working to check the effects of incessant rains. “This time we are not going to take any chances but steps are being taken to prepare an action plan to combat flood situation.
All the notified area committees will supervise the operations in their jurisdictions while the control room will keep in touch with them,” said a district official.