PUNE: Uncertainty looms large over the utility of Temghar dam as the State Water Resources Department has carried out only 10% repair work of the dam. Moreover, the government authority is unable to ascertain whether the dam will leak or not unless it gets filled up during monsoon.

State Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, who visited Temghar dam on Monday to inspect the ongoing repair work, admitted that unless the entire repair work is carried out and the dam is filled to capacity it is difficult to find out whether there is leakage. The total storage capacity of the dam is 3.75 thousand million cubic (TMC) feet while the entire water storage capacity of Khadakwasla reservoir system is 29 TMC ft. 

According to officials of the State Water Resources Department. “So far we have completed only 10% repair work and we will not be sure whether the work done by us is successful or not till the dam gets filled up. The total length of the dam is 1057 metres and by December 2017 the department plans to complete the work covering 300 metres of the length of the dam.

Addressing the press after inspecting the repair work, Mahajan said the leakage will be there till the entire repair work is done and to facilitate the repair work the department will have to empty the dam. “If there is heavy rain during monsoon then the ongoing repair work will get affected,” he said. He said the leakage is so huge that so far 22,000 bags of material have been used for stop the leakages. 

When contacted, RV Panse, Water Resources Department Secretary said Temghar dam will have to be emptied on priority basis between October 15 and December-end to carry out the remaining repair work so at this stage the dam will not be used for storage.

About the private contractors responsible for leakage of the dam, Mahajan said the contractor has been slapped with a notice.