The project in focus was the North Koel Reservoir Project, split across Bihar and Jharkhand. It began in 1972 under the government of the undivided state and is not yet complete
How long can a vital project be delayed? Going by the case of a reservoir project in undivided Bihar that recently came up before Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a review, the delay can be as long as 53 years.
The project in focus was the North Koel Reservoir Project, now split across Bihar and Jharkhand. It was started in 1972 by the state government and is not yet complete. Modi took up the project for a review along with some others and had a telling observation to make.
“It was underscored that delays in project execution come at the dual cost of escalating financial outlays and denying citizens timely access to essential services and infrastructure. It was urged to officials, both at the central and state levels, to adopt a results-driven approach to translate opportunity into improving lives,” the minutes of the meeting noted.
This project, once complete, will provide additional annual irrigation to 42,301 hectares in four drought-prone districts of Jharkhand and Bihar.
WHAT IS THE NORTH KOEL RESERVOIR PROJECT?
The North Koel Reservoir project is a major interstate irrigation project with a command area lying in Bihar and Jharkhand.
It comprises a dam on North Koel river near Kutku village (Latehar district in Jharkhand), a barrage 96-km downstream of the dam (at Mohammadganj in Palamu district of Jharkhand), right main canal (RMC) and left main canal (LMC) taking off from the barrage.
The construction of the dam and ancillary activities began in 1972, undertaken by the then Bihar government from its own resources. But the work was stopped in 1993 by the forest department.
Due to apprehension that water accumulated in the dam would threaten the Betla National Park and Palamu Tiger Reserve, the work on the dam came to a standstill.
The project, after the work stopped, was providing annual irrigation to 71,720 hectares. After bifurcation of Bihar in November 2000, the head works – dam and barrage – lie in Jharkhand. Also, the entire 11.89-km LMC from Mohammadganj barrage lies in Jharkhand. Out of 110.44 km of the RMC, the first 31.4 km lie in Jharkhand and the rest 79.04 km lie in Bihar.
MODI GOVERNMENT INTERVENED IN 2016
In 2016, the Modi government at the Centre decided to help with completion of balance works of the North Koel Reservoir project to realise its envisaged benefits.
It was decided that the reservoir level will be reduced to save the core area of Palamu Tiger Reserve. The proposal to complete the balance works of the project at an estimated expenditure of Rs 1,622.27 crore was approved by the Union cabinet in August 2017.
The department of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation, ministry of jal shakti was given the approval to complete the balance works of the North Koel Reservoir project at a revised cost of Rs 2,430.76 crore.
Subsequently, at the request of both state governments, certain other components were found necessary to be included in the project.