After waiting for long for central funds to arrive for dredging and desilting of the Damodar Barrage in Durgapur, the Bengal government has ordered a state-owned company to do the job.
The state has assigned the West Bengal Mineral Development and Trading Corporation for dredging. “The WBMDTC, as we’ve learnt, is likely to begin its work after the monsoon is over,” said Sanjoy Majumdar, executive engineer of Damodar Headworks of the irrigation department.
Majumdar said, “From 2 km up of Durgapur Barrage to 20 km of the river’s upstream flow, the area is earmarked for the mammoth task of de-siltation. We had provided the required database to WBMDTC for the purpose. They recently have sent some observations and sought clarifications on some existing sand mines leased out by the West Burdwan and Bankura district authorities, which will soon be addressed after the existing flood situation is over.”
The Damodar Barrage, as was prepared during a survey in 2023, has an estimated silt-load of 90 Million Cubic Metres. The Barrage’s installed water bearing capacity was 10.273 Million Cubic Metres. But since its inception in 1955, its 211 feet deep pond area has lost 52 per cent of its initial storage. About 6 Million Cubic Metres sedimentation were transported to the riverbed from the upper catchment areas through the dam-discharge annually, the Hydrology experts like Prof S Nandy claimed in 2023 in his report of the Damodar river.
The WBMDTC, as was learnt, would be working on a model prepared by the Pune based Central Water & Power Research Station. This, in 2013, former water resources minister Harish Rawat had prescribed during a question hour in the Parliament responding to the quarry by Prof Saidul Haq, former MP, Bardhaman Durgapur.