Rats, bureaucrats eat into Uttar Pradesh's Elgin Charsadi dam

The Elgin Charsadi dam between the Barabanki and Gonda districts of UP breached on Sunday much in keeping with the authorities' apprehensions over the past few days. As the river banks virtually melted into the raging Ghaghra, over 50 villages were flooded within minutes rendering thousands helpless and homeless.

While the tragedy – which happens every year – might have been predictable, what is shocking is the reason given out by engineers on duty: rats had burrowed holes in the bridge. Anyone thirsting for any more appalling revelations about the extent of corruption in government works, may consider this: the government has spent about Rs 78 crores on the maintenance and repairs of the bridge which cost Rs 14 crore.

"We are doing our best to save the dam," an engineer posted on the site was heard saying on a TV channel report, adding rather shamelessly that Rs 2 lakh were being spent every day for over a month now in the name of "flood fighting".

Gonda DM Ashutosh Niranjan told reporters "We are ready to face any eventuality. Our entire machinery is equipped for relief and rehabilitation operations." He promised an inquiry into the funds spent on maintenance and repairs of the dam. As if that would alleviate the horrific experience of those marooned in the flash flood.

The said "flood fighting" also began just last month when the Ghaghra started rising towards the danger mark with the onset of the monsoon. "Strengthening of the banks and the dam should have been done at least three months ago," said a senior official of the irrigation department. "It's a classic case of too little, too late," he added.

Local villagers told reporters that they had been telling the engineers and local authorities about the danger to the dam but all their pleas fell on deaf ears. "This happens every year. But the officials just refuse to listen. They are just busy making money in the name of maintenance and repairs but no real work is done," one of them lamented on the India 24x7 news channel of the Zee Media Group.

In fact, the villagers told reporters that the dam was totally ill conceived and they would have been better off without it. "If the dam wasn't there, the river would not have cut into our fields. The water would have flowed its natural course, and we would have had better crops," said a farmer. But, perhaps, the simple reasoning of the humble peasant might not make sense to 'netas' and 'babus' busy filling their coffers.