India Plans “TVA“
In Bihar-Bengal Area
(/P) Newsfeatures
CALCUTTA — A project pat
terned after the Tennessee Valley
Authority for developing an im
portant section of India’s vast in
dustrial and agricultural resources
may be under construction within
the next year.
The project, largest of its kind
ever to be attempted in the coun
try, is the multi-purpose develop
ment of the Damodar valley in
British Bihar and Bengal prov
inces. Engineers working on the
scheme feel that on its success
may depend the future improve
ment of other rivers and valleys
in India.
Comparable to the Tennessee
Valley Authority or the proposed
Missouri Valley Authority in the
United States, the Damodar plan
is designed to benefit more than
5,000,000 persons directly through
flood control, irrigation, power
and improved navigation. Cost of
the work has been set at about j
8167,000,000 and it is expected to j
take 10 years to complete.
The government of India and
the two provincial governments |
are working jointly in laying the ,
groundwork for the project. Funds j
for the preliminary planning have j
been furnished by the govern- j
ment of India, which also would
provide the construction funds to
be repaid after the scheme is in
operation.
W. L. Voorduin, formerly head
planning engineer of TV A, is em
ployed as chief hydro-electric en
gineer for the central technical
board appointed by the govern
ment of India to survey dam sites
and reservoir areas, make geolog
ical explorations and test construc
tion materials. The board’s pre
liminary investigation has been
completed and its findings will be
published soon.
Voorduin said plans for the pro
SANOLPUR DAM
MAITHON DAM
1.000 MILES]
CALCUTTA
INDIA
Areas To Be
Irrigated
MOVING
HEAVY HAULING - FREIGHTING
Done by
JACK BULLOCK and CHARLES O'LEARY
Our Equipment Is Available
Call RED 41
THE ROAD AHEAD- -1946
The coming season promises a return of our
mining activities .... The life blood of Seward
Peninsula!
America is diverging from the forging of wea
pons to that of products no less essential to the
progress of a nation at peace, and already industry
is fashioning implements which are to serve our
needs in the years ahead!
We are proud of our efforts during the war
and thankful that we may continue our progress in
a community that has been our home for forty
years!
LOMEN
Commercial Co.
ject are expected to be completed
by mid-1946 after which four
American engineers trained in
dam construction will be invited
to India as a “technical mission"
to direct building the first two of
the proposed seven dams.
The Damodar rises in the Chota
Nagpur hills of western Bihar and
its headwaters are in one of the
six worst denuded areas in India.
Nearly 336 miles in length, it
flows southeast through Bihar and
enters the delta plains of the Gan
ges river, joining the Hooghly
river 30 miles south of Calcutta.
The valley, where rice and jute j
are grown in large quantities, was [
swept by a serious flood in 1943. i
Traffic on the East Indian rail
road was suspended for almost
three months between stations j
above and below Burdwan and;
there was concern for a time that;
Burdwan and Calcutta would be
flooded too.
While areas through which the
Damodar passes are liable to seri
ous floods, other sections of the
valley in Bengal province remain
unirrigated and barren.
Engineers propose that the first;
of two dams should be constructed
at Aiyer in the upper Damodar
river and at Deolbari on the Bara
kar, where it has been found a
large storage capacity would be
possible. Topography makes it im- i
possible to locate any dam below
the confluence of the Damodar
and Barakar.
Other dams would be installed
at Malathon on the Barakar six
miles above its confluence with
the Damodar, at Sanolapur on the
Damodar five miles above its con
fluence with the Barakar, at Tilai
ya on the Barakar and on the Bo
karo and Konar rivers. A barrage
(artificial bar) would be built
American Occupation Troops Enjoy First Snow
a
is'. eace: . 4b*., i
With bombed-out German buildings os a backdrop, two American
soldiers use their off-duty time for winter sports. Qualified civilians 18 to
34 years of age, inclusive, now can enlist in the Regular Army and choose
the theater where they prefer duty.
about 15 miles southwest of Burd
wan in Bengal.
The three dams on tne Barakar
would have a reservoir capacity of
1,300,000 acre feet and the four
dams on the Damodar and its trib
utaries 2,900,000 acre feet.
Irrigation is one of the most im
portant aspects of the project.
Areas to be irrigated include the
Burdwan, Hooghly and Howrah
districts extending to Banka Nulla
in the north and Rajapur Swamp
in the south. An estimated 763,000
acres would be irrigated, includ
ing 186,000 acres now cultivated
for only part of the year.
Under the Damodar scheme.
power could be distributed to sta
tions in the valley. Important in
dustries which would benefit in
clude the steel works at Bartijung,
collieries, aluminum plants at
Nupnagar, cement works at Kha
lari, cement works at Khalari and
jute mills, ship repair works, bone
and cotton mills along the Hoogh
iy.
“Chocolate,” “tomato,” coyote,”
and ‘‘ocelot” are all Aztec words,
according to the Encyclopaedia
Britannica. The Spaniards who
conquered Mexico’s Aztec empire
learned them and carried them all
over the world.
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