12 vented dams under Paschima Vahini in Dakshina Kannada to be completed by December, says minister

Minister for Minor Irrigation N S Boseraju inspected a vented dam near Adyar in Mangaluru.

He said that of 15 vented dam projects which are underway in Dakshina Kannada under the Paschima Vahini scheme, 12 will be completed by this December-end. The remaining two will be completed by March 2024 and another will be completed by December 2024, he added.  

The Minister said that of 123 vented dam projects sanctioned to the district for 2021-22 and 2022-23 at an estimated cost of Rs 441.75 crore, 106 have been completed, 15 are underway, and two are yet to be taken up. Once all the projects are completed 709.82 mcft (million cubic feet) of water will be stored, he said.

Meanwhile, in Udupi district, of 129 projects sanctioned for 2021-22 and 2022-23 at a cost of Rs 524.55 crore, 107 have been completed and 20 are underway, he said. Two projects are yet to be taken up. These vented dams will have a total storage capacity of  283.34 mcft of water.

Of the 20 projects underway, 17 will be completed by December end. One will be completed by March 2024 and another two will be completed by March 2025, he said.

The scheme was envisaged to construct 1348 vented dams across West flowing rivers in coastal districts at a cost of Rs 3986.25 crore in a phased manner in five years from 2021-22.

The minister, after inspecting the vented dam work at Biliyoor in Bantwal taluk, said that new works will be taken up only after completing the ongoing works in the department. The work on the bridge at Biliyoor has been completed and the connecting road is pending. “I have directed the officials to acquire land for the road and take up the work immediately. The MLA will get a grant for the development of the road,” he said.

The Minister said that Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai has submitted a proposal to develop Sangama Kshetra at Uppinangady on the lines of Koodala Sangama at a cost of Rs 350 crore. “The project will be implemented if we get approval from the finance department.”