PM Modi to lay foundation of Mandal dam project in Jharkhand’s Palamu on January 5
Chief minister Raghubar Das said the PM would also lay foundation of piped water line project for Palamu and Garhwa and a project for rejuvenation of 5,000 ponds in Jharkhand
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation of North Koel Reservoir, also known as Mandal Dam Project in Palamu on January 5, chief minister Raghubar Das said at a function on four years of BJP government, in Jharkhand on Friday.
The project on North Koel River flowing through Palamu and Garhwa districts in Jharkhand was started in 1972. The project, however, was stopped by the forest department, Bihar, in 1993.
The union cabinet in August 2017 approved a proposal to complete the remaining work of the project. The total cost of the project assessed on the date was ₹2,391.36 crore and an expenditure amounting to ₹769.09 crore has been incurred till date.
Das said the project would see light of the day after almost 50 years, which would benefit both Jharkhand and Bihar.
The project is expected to irrigate 1.11 lakh hectares of land, including over 91,000 hectares of land in Bihar and 20,000 hectares of land in Jharkhand.
The chief minister said the PM would also lay foundation of a water pipeline project for two dry districts of Jharkhand, Palamu and Garhwa. “Water from Sone river will be brought to the two districts through the pipeline. The project would cost around ₹1,138 crore. Feasibility tests has been done and the detailed project report is being prepared,” said Das, adding, “I had promised the two districts to provide them with water supply through pipeline three years back.”
He said, “Earlier, we had planned to bring water from Ganga river and supply it two districts through the pipeline but an expert team of Gujarat did not find it feasible.
The Prime Minister would also lay foundation of a project - Sujalam Sufalam - for rejuvenation of 5,000 ponds across the state, CM said. He said the Jharkhand government had signed MoUs during Global Food and Agriculture summit, held in Ranchi on November 29-30, with Bharatiya Jain Sangathan for increasing water storage capacity in dams, ponds and lakes to fight against droughts.