Elgin-Charsadi embankment to be reconstructed

LUCKNOW: The irrigation and water resources department has decided to reconstruct and redesign the Elgin-Charsadi embankment in order to protect it from recurrent erosion.

Seventy villages in Gonda district were flooded after erosion in the 52-kilometre-long embankment on August 8 last year. The embankment runs along the Ghaghra river on the border of Barabanki and Gonda districts.

Minister of state for flood control (independent charge) Swati Singh on Tuesday said there was a technical flaw in the design of the embankment which eroded four times leading to a large-scale loss of life and property in the past.

After last year’s erosion, the villagers had demanded demolition of the embankment.

After the state government ordered an inquiry into the erosion, the technical committee constituted by the irrigation department in submitted a report had stated that there was flaw in the design of the embankment. The government will spend Rs 97.35 crore on the reconstruction work.

The tender has been floated and the construction work on the Elgin- Charsadi embankment will start from November 15.

The state government has also released funds for repair of the Ashogawa- Nagwa embankment in Siddharthnagar district and the Chapra-Tengrahi embankment in Ballia district.

Singh said the irrigation department had ordered inquiry into 189 flood control projects. Action was taken against errant chief engineers, executive engineers and superintending engineers. This year 20 embankments were damaged in Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Siddharthnagar, Deoria and Gonda districts after heavy rainfall in the area.