Vijayapura: One of the largest reservoirs in Karnataka, the Almatti dam, was chosen for the World Bank’s Award of Excellence for best utilisation of funds for renovation to enhance the strength of the dam.
“The certificate mentions that the award is given in recognition of the excellence in quality of rehabilitation works and compliance with statutory regulatory and environment requirements,” informed officials.
Krishna Bhagya Jal Nigam Limited was granted Rs.72 crore by the World Bank to prevent seepage which could damage the dam. According to officials of the Nigam, the reservoir which was five decades old required strengthening. The project was taken up under the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP). This is the first renovation work for the dam and it was taken up under the DRIP scheme by the Union government,” the officials said.
With funds released in February, the renovation work began in March and was completed in June when the water level in the dam was low. After completion, the officials of World Bank visited the site to assess whether the prescribed norms had been followed.
The work was carried out on as many as 250 dams across 10 states. Almatti dam was chosen for the award.
