• In early October, the Union Cabinet gave its approval to complete the balance works of the inter-state North Koel Reservoir Project at a revised cost of Rs 2,430 crore as against the balance cost of Rs 1,622.27 crore approved earlier in August 2017.

• The North Koel Reservoir Project is an inter-state major irrigation project with command area  lying in Bihar and Jharkhand.

• The project is long pending, and completion of this project, including additional components such as lining of canals, will provide drinking water and additional annual irrigation.

• On completion of the balance works, the project would provide additional annual irrigation to 42,301 hectares in four drought-prone districts of Jharkhand and Bihar.

Components of the project:

i) Mandal Dam on river North Koel near village Kutku of Latehar district in Jharkhand.

ii) Barrage 96 km downstream of the dam at Mohammadganj in Palamu district in Jharkhand.

iii) Right Main Canal (RMC) from Mohammadganj Barrage.

iv) Left Main Canal (LMC) from Mohammadganj Barrage.

• The Mandal dam falls in the area of Palamau Tiger Reserve which is land of Forest department of Palamu Division.

• River North Koel is one of the major right bank tributaries of Son River. The North Koel rises on the Ranchi plateau and enters Palamu division, below Netarhat near Rud. After flowing nearly due west for about 32 sqkm, it turns north at an almost complete right angle through a gorge at Kutku, and flows through the centre of the district until it falls into the Son a few kilometres north-west of Haidarnagar.

Why the project was delayed?

• The construction of dam and ancillary activities started in 1972. The work continued till 1993 and was stopped in that year by the Forest Department.

• Due to apprehension that water accumulated in the dam would threaten the Betla National Park and Palamu Tiger Reserve, the work on the dam was at a standstill.

• The project, subsequent to stoppage of work, was providing annual irrigation to 71,720 hectares.

• After bifurcation of Bihar in November 2000, the head works dam and barrage lie in Jharkhand. Also the entire 11.89 km Left Main Canal (LMC) from Mohammadganj barrage lies in Jharkhand.

• However, out of 110.44 km of Right Main Canal (RMC), the first 31.40 km lies in Jharkhand and the remaining 79.04 km lies in Bihar.

• In the year 2016, the Centre decided to provide assistance for completion of balance works of the North Koel Reservoir Project in order to operationalise the project to realise the envisaged benefits.

• It was decided to reduce the reservoir level so as to save the core area of Palamu Tiger Reserve.

• The proposal to complete the balance works of the project at an estimated expenditure of Rs 1,622.27 crore was approved by the Union Cabinet in August 2017.

• Subsequently, at the request of both the state governments, certain other components were found necessary to be included in the project.

• Complete lining of RMC and LMC was also regarded as essential from technical considerations to derive envisaged irrigation potential.

• Thus, the works of Gaya distribution system, lining of RMC and LMC, remodelling of enroute structures, construction of a few new structures and one time Special Package for R&R of Project Affected Families (PAFs) were to be provided for in the updated cost estimate.

• Accordingly, the revised cost estimate of the project was prepared.

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