Bhandaripokhari: Insufficient rainfall has affected agricultural activities in Bhandaripokhari area of Bhadrak, while a choked canal in the area has added to their woes. They lamented that the Badakolipadi minor canal, which is supposed to come handy at this time, is choked with silt and now fails to deliver water to farmlands.
Farmers said that Badakolipadi minor canal used to irrigate hectares of farmlands in the area, but it has been rendered useless due to silting. The Irrigation department is allegedly taking no step to restore the canal, local alleged.
Reports said, thousands of farmers in Dakhinabada, Sasna, Tulasipur and Badakilopadar villages depended on the water from this minor canal. “Now, not a drop of water passes through the canal. Farmlands are dry and badly need water to nurture saplings, which have started wilting. If the canal had been repaired, it would be of great use now,” many farmers observed.
Local farmers also alleged that a construction company, which is undertaking the expansion of NH-16, has been dumping earth and other materials into the canal. About 200 metres of the canal from the local cooperative bank to the Rest House chhak has been choked.
Maa Padmalochani Pani Panchayat is looking after the maintenance of the canal. Members of the panipanchayat have apprised the Water Resources department about the bad shape of the canal.
A junior engineer of the Water Resources department and officials of the construction company have taken stock of the canal.
Local farmers demanded immediate repair of the canal and warned of halting the work on the canal.
Junior engineer of the Water Resources department Kailash Chandra Sahu said that the canal will be dredged as soon as possible in the larger interest of the farmers.
