WORLD BANK AID FOR RENOVATION OF KERALA DAMS

WORLD BANK AID FOR RENOVATION OF 

KERALA DAMS

The safety and renovation of 47 dams across the state, under the Water Resources Department and the Electricity Board, will be aided and financed by the World Bank. The 28 dams under the Electricity Board and 10 dams coming under the Water Resources Department will be backed by the project. The World Bank will bear 80 percent of the project named Dam Rehabilitation and Empowerment Package while the rest 20 percent will be borne by the state government. Plugging leakage in dams, repair works, improving safety measures, improving the passage way to dams, making use of tourism potential among others will be included in the project. The project which was given approval by the union govt will be supervised by the Union Water Commission (CWD) department and the state supervision to be led by the Design and Research Bureau (ADRB).

Projects worth Rs 5 crore and those projects worth Rs 5 crore to Rs 25 crore need to be approved by the state and Union Union Water Resources Ministry. As per World Bank guidelines, global tenders should be invited for those projects over Rs 25 crore. ARDB chief engineer V Mahadevan said as the exact funds will be fixed, after the receipt of the estimate and project report from concerned officials. Dams under 9 districts in Kerala have been included in this project and Palakkad leads in the number of dams. Malampuzha, Valayar, Poothundi Mangalam, Meengara, Chulliar, Moolathara, Kanjirapuzha have been selected in Palakkad.In Thrissur district Peechi, Chimmini and Vazhanni have been included while in Kannur Pazhassi dam, Kozhikode - Kuttiyadi, Thiruvananthapuram - Neyyar, Kollam - Kaladda, Pathanamthitta - Maniyar, Ernakulam - Boothathankettu and Malangara in Idukki. WB aid will be given for the 28 projects coming under the Electricity Board too.

Prof. John Kurakar