Officers putting up makeshift gates over Markandeya river in Alataga in Belagavi district.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Belagavi district police have registered a case of theft of gates of a bridge cum barrage over the Markandeya river in Alataga village.
Minor Irrigation Department officials have complained to the police that unidentified miscreants had stolen 64 gates of the bridge cum barrage. They had been removed in May and kept in a shed for annual maintenance. They were inspected in August. But they were found missing during the inspection in November, the complaint said. The theft was noticed on November 29. The complaint was registered on December 2. Investigations are on.
Farmers in Alataga however, have complained that the department engineers had replaced the missing gates with makeshift gates made of wood and plastic. However, these gates were unable to hold back water and they had leaked into the downstream fields, causing loss of water and crop damage.
Published – December 07, 2024 08:47 pm IST