Maharashtra water conservation Minister Tanaji Sawant on Thursday said that the breach in Tiware dam in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, which claimed the lives of 18 people, was due to a large number of crabs that gathered around the dam, thereby causing leakage.
“There were no leakages earlier. Leakage happened after a large number of crabs gathered around the dam. Locals brought the issue to our notice and our department acted on it. The incident is unfortunate,” Sawant told media persons in Mumbai
On being asked if the construction was weak, the minister said that he came to know the shoddy construction work from the farmers and villagers of the area.
National Disaster Response Force has recovered 18 dead bodies so far from the dam, which breached in Ratnagiri district on June 3, creating a flood-like situation downstream.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his grief over the loss of lives in the incident and ordered an inquiry in the matter which will be helmed by a Special Investigation Team under a secretary rank official.
