(a) whether the Gate No.8 of the Farakka Barrage Project has collapsed and stopped functioning on December 29, 1999;
(b) if so, whether wires and other materials of the Gate
have been damaged due to non-maintenance/repair of the
Gate;
(c) whether the Government have conducted any enquiry to
find out reasons behind snapping out of the gate;
(d) if so, the finding of the enquiry; and
(e) the steps being taken by the Government for expeditious
repair of the Gate ?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES
(SMT. BIJOYA CHAKRAVARTY)
(a) to (e) Under sluice gate no.8 failed and washed away
to downstream of the Farakka Barrage on December
29,1999. Installation of the new gate was taken up
on war footing and a new gate was installed on March
06,2000. The Ministry has constituted a team of
experts on January 18,2000 to investigate the causes
of failure and to suggest remedial measures to avoid
occurrence of such type of failure of gates in
future.