Kendrapara: Farming will be seriously hit in the district with seven rivers going dry and 1114 lift irrigation (LI) points becoming defunct, a report said.
It is apprehended that over 25,718 hectares of land might remain uncultivated due to lack of irrigation facilities. This has happened even as ‘Akshaya Trutiya’ the festival of agriculture, draws near.
However, farm works are yet to pick up in the district with farmers showing no enthusiasm to take up cultivation due to lack of irrigation facilities. Their hopes hinge on rain.
Reports said seven rivers flowing through the district have gone dry from the start of this summer season. As a result, farmers are increasingly facing problems in watering their land.
The LI points have also become defunct as there is not enough water in the rivers. The district has 152,000 hectares of farm land out of which 86132 hectares are irrigated by water from canal, LI points, shallow tube wells and other water sources like ponds and wells.
The dip in river water has also resulted in water scarcity for the riparian villagers. The decline in water level in the rivers has also led to simultaneous decline in water level of tube wells, wells and ponds.
Farmer leaders Bidhu Bhusan Mohapatra, Gayadhar Dhal, Bijay Kumar Parida and farmers Niranjan Parida and Chittaranjan Das said seven rivers under the Mahanadi, the Brahmani and the Baitarani river systems flow through the district.
The fishermen dependent on these rivers for their livelihood have been equally hit. They alleged that construction of a barrage on the upstream of the Mahanadi by the Chhattisgarh government has spelled disaster for the state. The water level in Luna, Paika, Chitrotpala, Mahanadi and Birupa rivers on the downstream have declined due to construction of the barrage.
Similarly, the water level in Gobari, Brahmani and Kharasrota under the Baitarani river system has also declined. The canals emerging from these rivers have gone dry and so have the wells and ponds in the district.
Farmers claimed that the lift irrigation points drawing water from these rivers were helpful in irrigation of farmlands. There are 82 LI points in Kendrapara block, 37 in Derabish, 100 in Marshaghai, 119 in Mahakalapara, 97 in Garadapur, 138 in Pattamundai, 248 in Aul, 180 in Rajkanika and 113 in Rajnagar.
Likewise, 3,063 shallow tube wells and 10,624 other sources drawing water from these rivers helped in irrigating their farmlands. However, these are lying defunct with the rivers going dry. Left with no options, the farmers are now waiting for the arrival of the monsoon season.
When contacted, Prabodh Kumar Rout, executive engineer, irrigation department, said the water level in the rivers has declined due to summer. He said efforts are being made to make water available to the farmlands by desilting the rivers.
PNN
