Frequent Pench canal breaches to be studied

Nagpur: The water resources department (WRD) has set up a three-member committee to find permanent solution to regular breaching of Pench left and right bank canals. These canals breach two to three times every year causing crops to be washed away in the farms adjoining the breach spot. It also leads to stoppage of irrigation water to farmers.
The canals were built in 1970s as a part of Totladoh project.Their total length is 84 km. They have become weak due to age and neglect. Since 2006, there have 43 instances of breaching.
The brief of the committee is manifold. The first is to review the repair work of the canals done so far and the current repair practices. A report in this regard is to be submitted to the department head office as soon as possible. The second is to investigate all 43 instances of breaching and find out reasons. The present state of the canals is also to be studied.
The committee will have to recommend measures to ensure the canals carry water at full capacity without breaching. A manual for regular inspection of canals and code for repairing the breaches will have to be prepared.
The committee is headed by MI Shaikh, retired director general of Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (MERI), Nashik. The superintending engineer of Command Area Development Authority (CADA), Nagpur, is the member secretary while superintending engineer of central design organization (earth dams) is the member. Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) has been asked to make officials from quality control and irrigation design wings available to the committee as per requirement.