Jabalpur, Feb 1 (PTI) The right bank canal of Bargi dam, the first reservoir built downstream of the Narmada river, developed a breach in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district on Sunday, flooding nearby agricultural
fields, an official said.
The damage to the embankment near Sagda-Jhapni village triggered panic in the affected area as water gushed into farmland.
The breach, which occurred around 2 or 2.30 pm, has not caused any loss of human life, Jabalpur Collector Raghvendra Singh told PTI over the phone.
"Water will drain out of the fields in about two hours. Immediate survey of crop loss has been ordered. The damage is minimal. The repair work on the canal is underway on a war footing," he informed.
The canal is very old and an estimate involving major repair work was sent to the government for sanction about two months back, the collector added. The canal runs up to the Rewa district in the Vindhya region of the state.
Rani Avanti Bai Sagar Pariyojana, commonly known as the Bargi project, is about 32 km from the district headquarters and is a major dam in Madhya Pradesh.
The district administration stopped the discharge of water through the right bank canal by shutting its sluice gates as a precautionary measure, officials said.
Local farmers and villagers claimed the canal has been in poor condition for a long time. They alleged officials ignored their repeated complaints on the issue, which eventually led to the breach.
Revenue officials, the executive engineer of the right bank canal as well as administrative and technical teams were present at the site to monitor the situation.
Incidentally, the breach comes just four months after the Madhya Pradesh government had said the Bargi Dam was found to be "completely safe" after an inspection by a team of experts following a viral video.
On September 7 last year, a video purportedly showing seepage from the Bargi Dam went viral on social media, raising concerns over its safety.
At the time, MP Water Resources Department Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Dr Rajesh Rajora had told PTI the dam was inspected by a team from the Central Water Commission from Bhopal and the Bureau of Designs.
After the technical examination, the dam was found to be completely safe Rajora had said. PTI LAL NR BNM
