Dam on Tapti river breached

Betul (MP), Aug 8 (UNI) A high alert has been sounded in 100 villages and six villages vacated as the officials took emergency steps today to empty the Chandora reservoir on the Tapti river in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh after 100-metre portion of the earthem dam caved in.

All villages on river banks had been alerted and all 8 gates of the 25-year-old dam at Chandora village, 70 Km from here, had been opened this morning to release water. Water was also being released through the canals, officials said, adding the water level of the river downstream was also rising alarmingly.

Irrigation officials had been ringing emergency siren since Tuesday afternoon after detecting the breach on a portion of the 1200-metre long dam.

Water level of the reservoir was full at 684 metre and it was getting more water due to heavy rains in catchment area, Executive Engineer R C Rathore said.

District Collector Arun Bhatt and other senior officials reached the dam site today to supervise rescue operation. Chandora village was also vacated.

The dam in Multai tahsil was constructed at a cost of Rs 16 crore with World Bank assistance in 1982 to facilitae irrigation in 3600 hectare and it had breached 15 years ago.

Meanwhile, at Bhopal, Samajwadi Party MLA Dr Sunilam told reporters that about 2,000 villages were facing threat following the breach. He urged the state government to take emergency steps to minimise the damage and provide timely help to the affected people.

UNI