WRD SE clarifies on Maphou Dam
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 26 2017:
Terming the allegations made by some locals of Maphou Dam village against the Water Resource Department (WRD) of misappropriating Rs 5 lakh from the funds meant for the construction of railing bars of Maphou Dam as unfortunate and baseless, the Department's Superintending Engineer P Ingocha clarified that the total budget sanctioned for the construction of railing bars is only Rs 4.22 lakh.
Speaking to media persons during an inspection visit at the dam site, the Superintending Engineer stated that the railing work of the dam was completed with proper quality maintenance using stainless steel (304 grade) with ISI mark procured from a reputed Indian company named Jindal Steel and Power Limited.
He said that using such high quality stainless steel is the first of its kind in the North East region while maintaining that the construction had been monitored closely by authorities concerned and they had approved it as it fulfilled the requisite criteria.
He added that the dam was planned to be inaugurated by the President of India recently but had been cancelled owing to inconveniences.
When asked about the allegation of corrosion on the railing bars, Ingocha maintained that it was not so but rather it was an effect of soldering the horizontal steel railing bars and vertical steel pillars and the same can be polished off.
He noted that the usage of hollow bars in the railing is according to the requirement and asked all not to get confused or suspicious.
Conveying that 80 percent of the multipurpose dam has been completed so far, Ingocha said that the progression of its construction had picked up since 2015.He informed that the digging of a tunnel among two has also been completed a few months back and the other will be done within a couple of months.
Apart from the fact that the construction work can be done only in a lean season, which hardly lasts for four months in a year, several other factors, such as volatile law and order situation and occurrence of violent confrontation in and around the construction site for some years in the past had delayed the dam construction, he said.
But now with relentless and sincere effort of the WRD, the overall works of the dam have almost reached its completion stage with due emphasis on the qualitative aspect.
Once it gets completed and is fully commissioned, he said, the State can get benefits in various ways such as water for irrigation, power supply and water supply from the dam.
Many high ranking officials of WRD were also present during the inspection tour.