Paralakhemundi: Apart from setting its covetous sight on the state’s fringe areas like Kotia panchayat of Koraput, Andhra Pradesh has allegedly been making efforts to make full use of the water of Mahendratanaya river flowing through Gajapati district.
Reports said, by damming up the river at upper reaches, AP has almost chocked the water flow to Odisha side, leaving farmers in Gajapati district high and dry.
The reports said, the minor irrigation department had built a dam near Amara and Dalimbapur under Gosani block in this district.
The dam has been able to irrigate over 600 acres of farmland in the area. At this place, the river has silted up and been choked with weeds. This is because this part of the river continues to see thin flow of water from the upper end.
The Andhra government has built a barrage at Nasundhara on the upper reaches of the river. The neigbouring state has been carrying out renovation of the barrage. It has raised the height of the barrage by a metre.
As a result, the water flow as was expected in usual cases has drastically come down in the downstream region.
“Water is not coming in right amounts from the upper end. For lack of water, the riverbed is choked with weeds. Farmlands in Amara and Dalimbapur are deprived of water from the dam made by the minor irrigation department,” farmers alleged.
They also alleged that though they had apprised the minor irrigation department in Gosani block, no step has been taken in this regard.
In the past also, farmers of the two villages had taken up the issue with the minor irrigation department, the latter is not redressing the issue, they lamented.
When contacted, Pradip Kumar Rout, executive engineer of the minor irrigation department admitted that the raising of the barrage height by Andhra government will affect the farmers in this part and the issue will be redressed soon.
The matter will be thoroughly investigated, he assured.
PNN