Soil caves in near spillway of Bodalkasa reservoir in Gondia, water flows into canal; NDRF, SDRF called in
The district administration said the situation is under control and urged residents not to panic as 60 NDRF and SDRF personnel began relief and rescue work.
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Panic spread at the Bodalkasa reservoir in Tirora tehsil of Gondia district at about 7 am on Monday, October 12, when the soil near the reservoir's spillway suddenly caved in. The dam partially breached and water began flowing rapidly towards the canal.
Because of the strong pressure of the water, gradual erosion, or scouring, is being recorded in the soil of the dam. As soon as news of the incident reached the district administration, officials swung into action.
Considering the seriousness of the situation, the district administration called in the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) from Nagpur. A joint team of 60 personnel from both forces reached the reservoir immediately and took charge.
Gondia District Collector Mandar Patki also reached the spot. Local MLA Vijay Rahangdale, the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) and tehsildar of Tirora, and personnel of the district disaster management department and the search and rescue team are also present at the dam site. All the departments concerned are coordinating with one another and carrying out relief and rescue work on a war footing.
Meanwhile, the district administration has appealed to people to remain calm. It has said clearly that the situation is fully under control. According to officials, the total water storage capacity of the Bodalkasa reservoir is 0.55 TMC, so there is no cause for worry or panic.
The water from the point where the seepage began is going directly into the canal, which is filling up slowly. The administration is making firm arrangements to keep the flow of water under control and to stop the erosion of the soil.
The Gondia Collectorate has appealed to citizens to stay alert and cooperate by following the administration's guidelines. Officials said the situation is being monitored continuously and the relief and rescue teams are stationed at the spot so that the erosion of soil can be stopped from spreading and people in the vicinity face no inconvenience.
