Rengali Dam: Difference between revisions

|dam_name name = Rengali Dam

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'''Rengali dam''' is a [[dam]] located in Orissa[[Odisha|Odisha, India]]. It is constructed across the [[Brahmani River]] in Rengali village, located 70 KM&nbsp;km from [[Angul]] in [[Angul district]], [[Orissa]] in [[India]].<ref name="Hydrology and Water Resources in India">[httphttps://books.google.com/books?id=ZKs1gBhJSWIC&pg=RA1-PA637&dq=rengali+dam&lr= Hydrology and Water Resources of India by Sharad K. Jain, Pushpendra K. Agarwal, Vijay P.]</ref>

The dam was constructed in 1985.<ref name="research of impact">[https://web.archive.org/web/20080503090611/http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/30/stories/2008043057630300.htm Scientists see threat to mangrove forest]</ref> The project was not welcomed by the local people during the conception and initial implementation of the project due to the displacement of several10,700 people and the way the Government tacked the issue.families<ref>[httphttps://books.google.com/books?id=ogsMC4H6K03rpo-wCP6inQC&pg=PA41PA52&dq=rengali+dam&lr=#PPA41PPA52,M1 EnvironmentalCommunity impactforest ofmanagement largeby reservoirJoe projectsHuman, onManoj human settlement by A.K. DaluaPattanaik]</ref> Theand projectthe hasway displacedthe agovernment totaltackled ofthe 10,700 familiesissue.<ref>[httphttps://books.google.com/books?id=03rpoogsMC4H6K-P6inQCwC&pg=PA52PA41&dq=rengali+dam&lr=#PPA52PPA41,M1 CommunityEnvironmental forestimpact managementof bylarge Joereservoir Human,projects Manojon Pattanaikhuman settlement by A.K. Dalua]</ref>

Rengali damDam is 70.5 m tall and 1040 m wide. The reservoir formed by the dam is the second largest reservoir in OrissaOdisha, with 37, 840 hectares at full level and 28,000 hectares inat mean level. The reservoir has a catchment area of 25,250&nbsp;km², mostly forests and wasteland. The dam is also used to generate electricity byusing 5five unitsturbines with a capacity of 50MW50 MW each. The dam holds 3412 million cubic meters of water at Full Reservoir Level (FRL).<ref name="Hydrology and Water Resources in India"/><ref>[http://angul.nic.in/water.htm Angul District official website: Water Resources]</ref>

A barrage is constructed across the Brahmani river 35 KM&nbsp;km downstream of Rengali dam. The barrage is used to store the flood releases from the dam and divert it through two canal systems. It has a free catchment area of 4780&nbsp;km² and between the dam and barrage. The area records an annual rainfall of 1570&nbsp;mm on average.<ref name="Hydrology and Water Resources in India"/><ref name="threat to wild life">[https://archive.today/20130203142517/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040614/asp/jharkhand/story_3361139.asp Dam threat to wildlife]</ref>

[[Bhitarkanika Mangroves]], located in OrissaOdisha adjacent to Bay of Bengal, faces a unique threat since the construction of this dam. The species of trees in the Mangroves are fed by the unique combination of salt and fresh water from rivers including the [[Brahmani River]]. Scientists from the [[Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology]] (IMMT) and the Spatial Planning and Analysis Research Centre Private Limited (SPARC) have performed a study on the ''Effect of reduced water flow through Brahmani-Baitarani river system on the mangrove population of Bhitarkanika estuary''.

In their study, the scientists have found that the water flow at the Mangrove delta head before and after the construction of the dam in 1985 is 19,514 million cubic meters and 17,389 million cubic metres respectively. They believe that this level may go down to 14,000 once the full potential of the project will be realised around 2025. They have warned of slow decline and disappearance of the plant species in thisthe mangrovesMangroves if a sustainable amount of water is not released into the mangrovesMangroves.<ref name="research of impact"/>

The Rengali Irrigation Project has come under the scannerscrutiny of India's apex audit institute twice. First, in the Comptroller and Auditors General of India's report on OrissaOdisha [civil] for the year ending March 31, 2000 on Paragraph 4.1 and again on CAG's report on OrissaOdisha [civil] for the year ending March 31, 2008 on Paragraph 3.2.

In 2000, auditors had looked at non-completion of the project, non-accrual of intended benefits and widespread mismanagement inof paymetpayment to contractors, particularly with reference to construction of the project up to headworks [barrage]. The report had not been discussed by Orissathe Odisha State Assembly's Public Account Committee as of August 2008 [and probably till date].

In 2008, auditors [for more visit http://www.cag.gov.in/html/cag_reports/orissa/rep_2008/civil_chap_3.pdf ]noted that "due to delay in acquisition of land / nonacquisition of land, nonreceipt of forest land clearance and poor contract management, the project remained incomplete at various stages with investment of Rs 1695.61 crore (March 2008) resulting in cost over runoverrun by Rs 1461.97 crore (626 per cent) and time over runoverrun by 17 years. The project was not planned "<ref>http://www.cag.gov.in a coordinated manner integrating supports from different agencies for smooth and timely completion of the project/html/cag_reports/orissa/rep_2008/civil_chap_3.pdf The{{Bare worksURL werePDF|date=March executed in a piecemeal fashion without analysing and assessing their impact on the whole project. The technoeconomicviability2022}}</ref>

{{HydrologyHydrography of OrissaOdisha}}

[[Category:Dams in OrissaOdisha]]