Water resources department (WRD) has ordered a halt to boat operations, being conducted as part of an eco-tourism initiative, at Durgavati Reservoir Project in Kaimur Hills region citing the dam’s safety. Officials said that boating was affecting Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system here.
Event Context
Chief engineer, WRD, Dehri, in his letter to Kaimur divisional forest officer and district magistrate, said that the forest department boats created unnecessary hydraulic jumps, which compromised the dam’s stability. Depressions are also forming in the stone pitching (rip-rap) of the dam. HT also accessed the letter.
While the SCADA system was installed to accurately assess water discharge from the reservoir, the creation of hydraulic jumps adversely affects the system, preventing accurate measurement. “Therefore, you are requested to immediately halt boating operations to ensure dam’s safety and proper functioning of the system,” it said.
Kaimur DFO Sanjiv Ranjan said that the reservoir, surrounded by beautiful hills, flora and fauna of Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary, attracts an increasing number of tourists from even Patna and Varanasi who prefer boating to enjoy the beauty of nature around. Above 5.3 lakh tourists visited the site and took boat rides last season.
“Four boats- two 24 seaters of 50 Horse Power and two 12-seaters (one for tourists and one for patrolling) of 40HP each—are currently operated in the reservoir at a maximum speed of 4-5 km/hour. We have sought directions from the department and boat operation is continuing in the light of tourist flow during the rains,” he added.
Meanwhile, on the chances of boat wake disrupting hydrological data, an expert on the condition of anonymity said that the SCADA system typically relies on pressure transducers or staff gauges reading over longer intervals, often with signal averaging or damping built in specifically to filter out short-term surface noise.
If the SCADA system is losing accurate readings from recreational boat traffic, that points to instrumentation poorly sited too close to the boating zone or inadequate signal filtering—both fixable engineering issues. A slow-moving passenger boat, the kind used in the reservoir, typically generates wake in the range of a few centimeters, which dissipates quickly. These cannot harm a dam, the strong structure engineered to survive much larger wind waves and earthquakes, he added.
On July 13, the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had organised an ecotourism investors meet at the direction of the CM, with the purpose of developing 29 big dams in Bihar, including Durgawati Reservoir. The majority of these include water sports and adventure activities in PPP mode, officials said.
Team Analysis
Chief engineer Ajay Kumar Singh said that boats are being operated arbitrarily without obtaining a NOC, posing a threat to the dam’s structure and disrupting mapping activities. If the forest department applies for an NOC, conditional permission for boat operations could be granted after marking the restricted areas.
Kaimur DM Nitin Kumar Singh confirmed receiving the letter and said the forest department is taking necessary action. Meanwhile, tourists and shopkeepers are concerned about potential threat to the most popular facility at this eco-tourism hub, which is a dream project of the state and chief minister Samrat Choudhary.
Match Outlook
WRD secretary Chandrashekhar Singh told HT that there are some local issues at Durgawati dam related to the ongoing project of drinking water supply. “The matter will be resolved soon,” he said.
