A dam built as part of the Kumbha Ram Arya lift canal project near Malsisar town in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district breached on Saturday, inundating several areas in the region.
The water swept away a large number of cattles and vehicles, but no loss of life was reported. Jhunjhunu Collector Dinesh Kumar Yadav said Kakdeu village and some government offices on the outskirts of Malsisar were submerged and several houses damaged.
The dam – constructed barely three months ago – had 80 million litres per day (MLD) of water in terms of supply, stored at a height of 9 metres. A portion of the dam first developed cracks and later breached. The cause of the breach was yet to be ascertained. However, the flow of the water had been diverted towards open fields away from Malsisar, Mr. Yadav said.
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The State government rushed the State Disaster Relief Force teams from Jaipur to Malsisar, situated 210 km away. Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Hemant Gera was monitoring the situation. The rescue teams evacuated project officials and labourers trapped inside the dam’s filter plant, control tower and administrative building.