Sambalpur: The fate of an additional spillway of the Hirakud dam is hanging in balance while Tata Projects Limited and the water resources department are at loggerheads leading to the delay in work.
Both the parties have claimed compensation from each other. Given the situation, the construction work of the spillway has been stuck for over six months.
Tata Projects which was carrying out the work has withdrawn itself from the work, leaving the project in uncertainty.
The construction company has pointed out that there is delay because of the government. It was stated that due to delay in the work, the cost of construction material has gone up compared to the estimated cost.
The company has demanded Rs 49 crore as compensation from the water resources department, it was learnt. However, the water resources department has claimed Rs 419 crore as compensation from the company for refusing to work after taking up the tender.
Though both the sides are holding talks over the issue, there has been no breakthrough. The issue has been taken up with the World Bank which has funded the project.
On the other hand, the government is not going for a retender.
An official of the water resources department, requesting anonymity said there is no problem in land acquisition. After bagging the tender, the company was in a fix over the work. Later, it sought a plea and withdrew itself from the work, he said.
Work on the additional spillway was started in January 2019. Tata Projects and AGE Group had undertaken the excavation work for which Rs 12 crore of the estimated project cost of Rs 369.53 crore was paid.
It may be noted here that to enhance the flood water discharge capacity of all the major dams to 1.5 times of their current capacity, the Central Water Commission (CWC) recommended the additional spillway at Hirakud.
The project entails the spillway with a length of 91 metre and five sluice gates. The width of the channel will be 300 metre while the length will be 1.9 km.
The spillway channel will originate from near Gandhi Minar on the left dyke of Hirakud Dam Project and meet with Mahanadi river near Jawahar Udyan. It is a World Bank-funded project.
At present, there are 98 gates, including 64 sluice gates and 34 crest gates, to discharge floodwater at the Hirakud dam. The existing capacity to discharge the floodwater from 98 gates is 15 lakh cusecs.
With the completion of the additional spillway, the flood water discharge capacity of the Hirakud dam will be hiked by 3 lakh cusecs.
The project displaced 1414 families of Cable Colony, Press Nagar, Ring Rolling Mill, Fast Camp and Laxminagar area.
PNN
