Maharashtra Minister Tanaji Sawant blames crabs for Tiware dam breach, also calls it 'natural calamity'

Maharashtra Minister Tanaji Sawant attributed breach in Tiware dam in Ratnagiri district, which claimed lives of 18 people, to weakening of wall by crabs.

Calling dam breach incident a "natural calamity", newly-appointed Water Conservation Minister also said whatever is destined to happen, will happen.
Talking to reporters, Sawant Thursday said officials and locals had informed him that a large number of crabs have weakened wall of dam.

" wall was weakened by a large number crabs and after it was pointed out to government officials, some remedial measures were taken up. SIT appointed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will come up with its findings soon and we will come to kw what exactly went wrong," he said.

dam, located in Chiplun tehsil, breached late Tuesday night following torrential rains in coastal Konkan region. minister also hinted that incident could also be a fallout of torrential rains in dam's catchment area.

 IMPACT: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Launches Inquiry Into Tiware Dam Breach As Chiplun MLA Claims Leaks Were Kwn Four Months Ago

"In just eight hours, 192 mm rainfall was recorded in catchment area of dam. As per my information, water level of dam increased by eight meters in eight hours. villrs wonder wher it was due to a cloudburst," he said.

But it will eventually be discussed in committee, minister added."It was a trdy, but I think you cant change your fate. Whatever is going to happen, will happen. It was a kind of natural calamity," he said.

READ: Mumbai Rains: Policeman Saves Man's Bestfriend And Netizens Can't Stop Praising Him, Video Goes Viral

When asked about wher repair works of dam was shoddy, he said, "We realised it only when water started accumulating in dam." Last year, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan had stirred up a controversy after he attributed a major breach in right wall of Mutha canal in Pune, which had inundated parts of city, to rats, or rodents and crabs.

" canal wall caved in as rats, rodents and crabs had been gnawing away at it, burrowing holes in walls foundation," he had said.