Chandigarh.
“If the silt is not promptly removed from Punjab’s Mirzapur Dam, its structural integrity will be compromised, leading to the breaking of the dam in the upcoming monsoon season and catastrophic flooding in the surrounding villages of District Mohali, Tehsil Kharar, Block Majri, including-Gochar, Abhipur, Mianpur Changar, Khizrabad, Labangarh, and others”, the senior Punjab BJP leader and former media advisor to the Chief Minister, Vineet Joshi said on Monday. During his visit to the Mirzapur Dam, Joshi, accompanied by villagers and youths including Om Prakash from Gochar village and Mohit Gautam from Sialba Majri, expressed deep concern over the deteriorating condition of the dam.
Joshi said that due to the valve releasing water from the dam being damaged and the dam spillway not being cleaned for years, the water level in Mirzapur Dam rose above the danger mark during last monsoon season. This year, the situation is even worse as massive silt has been accumulated, which, if left unaddressed, will pose a severe risk of dam failure.
Sheer negligence of irrigation department officials
Joshi, who is Punjab BJP’s media chief, pointed out that due to the continuous neglect and errors of the irrigation department officials, more than two-thirds of the Mirzapur Dam has been filled with over 50 feet of silt. “The situation is so dire that grass and weeds have started to grow on the silt. The silted area is extensive enough to build a 4-acre cricket ground and a one-and-a-half-acre football ground,” he remarked.
Constructed in 1997, the Mirzapur Dam was intended to irrigate approximately 2200 acres of cultivable land across the villages of Gochar, Abhipur, Kubahedi, Sangatpura, and Manikpur in Punjab. “However, due to the siltation, these villages have not received any irrigation water from the dam for several years. Furthermore, the irrigation department officials have failed to maintain the underground network of pipes that distribute water from the dam to the fields, leaving them broken in places. The valve used to release water from the dam is also damaged and clogged with silt, having not been cleaned for a long time”, Joshi said.
Joshi also emphasized the economic impact on local farmers, whose agricultural income has significantly declined due to the lack of irrigation. “The dam once provided a significant boost to the agricultural income of the local people, which has now dwindled due to the neglect,” Joshi stated.
Immediate government action required: Joshi
In light of the impending monsoon and the potential disaster, Joshi urged the Punjab government to take immediate action. He demanded the removal of silt from the dam, repair of the valve, and restoration of the dam spillway’s depth to mitigate the risk of a dam breach during the monsoon season.
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