Dhar (Madhya Pradesh): Amid the ongoing controversy over the Karam dam breach, seepage from another dam in Tirla development block of Dhar district has become a new headache for the administration here.
Though administrative officials are saying that the seepage in Khedi Dam is not that serious and can be repaired.
On Thursday, district collector Dr Pankaj Jain, sub-divisional magistrate Deepashree Gupta, and sub-divisional officer (water resource) Mayank Singh visited the site to gauge the level of seriousness.
After inspection, SDM Gupta claimed that it was a minor leakage and the water resources department had been asked to fix it.
An official of the Water Resources Department says that this is a normal leak. There is no risk of the dam bursting.
Administrative officials carried out the inspection for about two hours. SDM Gupta added that the department has been asked to keep an eye on the rise in water levels.
SDO Singh present on the spot told us that the leakage is at one place only and it will be plugged. Currently, the dam has five million cubic metres of water and about 900 hectares of land is being irrigated from this dam.
According to information, the dam was built at a cost of Rs nine crore. The tender for the dam was issued in 2017 and it was awarded to an Indore-based company and was completed in 2019.
KL Ninama, executive engineer, Water Resources Department, Dhar claimed that there is not much leakage of water from Khedi Dam. The normal seepage from the soil is the same. There is no danger of the dam bursting.
Meanwhile, more than 10,000 villagers from eight villages residing downstream of the dam are living in fear after the recent Karam dam breach incident.
One Dule Singh, a resident of Jamlakhedi village told that due to seepage, standing crops on his 18 bighas agricultural land has been damaged. Adding more problems to his woes, he is unable to take the rain crop because his land has remained submerged throughout.
Badami Bai, the newly elected sarpanch of the village claimed that they have complained about this many times, but no one has paid any heed and in case the dam bursts, more than 10,000 villagers residing in eight villages could be in danger.
She added that these villagers are solely dependent on the water stored in the reservoir and if the department empties this water to repair the dam, then how would we get water? Badami Bai questioned.
Vijay Chopra, a social activist, claimed that a complaint was made to the collector and Water Resources Department regarding the leakage from the dam. Many times the government was also informed about this. Water is coming out of the dam at a fast pace. Due to this, 10 thousand people in eight villages remain worried.
Meanwhile, an attempt to contact local MLA Umang Singar failed after repeated attempts as he did not pick up the phone.
On the other hand, BJP leader and newly elected janpad panchayat president Sardar Meda from Gandhwani said that he will also visit the area and ask the officials to fix it.
While the Leader of Opposition Dr Govind Singh also took full information and demanded a fair investigation into the matter.
