“The DPR may take longer than the stipulated deadline as there has been much delay already,” SA Kabir, Project Director of FMISC (Flood Management Information System Center) in Bihar told myrepublica.com.
The construction of the dam, which has become controversial over the years due to the risk of high displacement of people on both the side of the border, has been given high priority by the Bihar government. It has maintained that the dam is the only way to develop both energy and irrigation.
“It is technically ideal,” Kabir said, adding, “Such a dam will be the best solution from safety perspective and to develop electricity, irrigation and for the overall economy.” He also said that the Bihar government is working very closely with Nepali authorities to build the dam, the height of which India has proposed to be 736 m.
The Bihar government has strengthened its vigilance and also the early warning system to prevent large scale disaster due to flooding and to “ensure that Koshi experience of last year does not reoccur.
“We have to better manage the embankment and strengthen the dam and there has to be high vigilance, as the water level and erosion possibilities are also high,” Rajnish Kumar Singh of Disaster Relief Management System said. Stating that there is high possibility of embankments giving way yet again, he added, “Indian government is re-thinking a new plan as the embankment is now very old.”
After the breach of two spurs at Kataha on August 18 last year, the Bihar government introduced diversion schemes. It built 3 coffer dams -- 160 m, 310 m and 400 m in height -- to complete all reconstruction works.
The Disaster Management unit of Bihar claimed that as per the forecast, the variation in the water level indicates future flooding of higher magnitude. “We are developing a new model for forecast and early warning system with World Bank assistance,” Kabir said. He added that such a system will benefit both India and Nepal to take precautionary measures before disaster hits the Koshi region.
akanshya@myrepublica.com
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