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Concerns have emerged over alleged encroachment within the protected catchment area of the Bisalpur Dam by a private contractor engaged in desilting and dredging work. Environmental activists and local residents claim that land levelling and permanent construction, including proposed weighbridges, are being carried out inside a restricted zone, in violation of contract terms. The state government has acknowledged the issue and said the location of the structures will be examined. Bisalpur Dam is a critical drinking water source for several Rajasthan districts.
Questions have been raised over compliance with environmental and contractual norms at the Bisalpur Dam, after allegations surfaced that a private contractor undertaking desilting and dredging work carried out construction activities inside the dam's protected catchment area. Advertisement
Environmental activists have alleged that nearly 10 bighas of land in the Negadiya region, which falls within the catchment zone, were levelled using heavy machinery. They claim that soil was dumped, a traditional footpath was widened into a road, and construction work was initiated for two weighbridges. As per the contract conditions, the contractor is permitted to restore the dam's storage capacity but is not allowed to alter land or create permanent structures within the protected zone.
Satellite images, according to activists, indicate ongoing construction inside the restricted area. They have also pointed out that the purpose of the weighbridges is to measure the volume of desilted material being transported. Local residents fear that once the road and weighbridges become operational, daily truck movement could rise sharply, increasing dust, noise, and environmental stress in the surrounding villages.
The Bisalpur Dam is one of Rajasthan's most important reservoirs and supplies drinking water to Jaipur, Ajmer, and Tonk districts. Over the years, silt accumulation had reduced its effective storage capacity, prompting the state government to take up a large-scale desilting and dredging project. The objective was to restore the reservoir closer to its originally designed capacity, which had declined since the dam became operational in 2004.
The Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project Corporation Ltd, which is overseeing the work, has not issued a detailed public response to the allegations. However, the state's water resources minister has stated that the contractor has permission to install weighbridges for operational requirements. He added that the government will verify whether any permanent construction has taken place inside the catchment area and assured that action will be taken if violations are found.
Officials familiar with the project have also noted that the dam had not undergone major desilting for nearly two decades, which contributed to the gradual loss of storage and increased overflow-related water wastage during good monsoon years.
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