The North Koel project, pending for over 30 years, got delayed due to Bihar’s division in November, 2000, after which part of the project fell in Jharkhand leading to complexities.
The team would comprise of retired IAS officials – UK Panjiyar, PK Sen, SP Yadav and PK Sinha. The team will report to the Union government after visiting the site.
However, Ajaj Nayak, principal secretary of the water resources department, expressed ignorance about the team’s visit. “I have no information about the formation of a committee and its visit,” he said.
Earlier in 2007, the MOEF had objected to construction of the iron gate, saying that water accumulated in the dam would threaten Betla national park and the tiger project.
The inter-state project remained incomplete pending issuance of no-objection certificate from the MOEF. The initial outlay of the project was put at Rs 30 crore in 1972 and work on it had commenced in 1975. However, Rs 621.76 crore have been spent on the project
The Central Water Commission had revised the cost of the project four times, with the last one in 1998 putting the estimated cost at Rs 1,289 crore.
This irrigation project, once complete, is expected to irrigate a total of about 1.24 lakh hectares in Aurangabad and Gaya districts in Bihar and Palamu district in Jharkhand, and also generate 24 MW of power.
After Bihar’s division, the project became an inter-state one with the dam, barrage and part of the main canal falling in Jharkhand while rest of the main canal and distributaries remained in Bihar.
The implementation of the project got delayed with non-construction of the iron gate at Kutku dam. Construction of the gate was stopped by Jharkhand government citing instructions by the MOEF.
Aurangabad MPÂ Sushil Kumar Singh said that farmers of the region are suffering due to non-construction of the dam.