- 150 acres of farmland in Chandahandi block faces threat of submergence
•Thousands of farmers in Khaparadihi and Gambhariguda to be deprived of water
Chandahandi: Nabarangpur Collector Ajit Kumar Mishra Sunday visited Khaparadihi and Gambhariguda under Chandahandi block and reviewed the situation of the villages after reports surfaced that Chhattisgarh had started barrage construction work on river Tel.
Mishra along with Chandahandi block development officer (BDO) Tapas Kumar Bhoi, social welfare officer Tushar Ranjan Sahu and other officials made the visit and took stock of the situation.
Sources suggested that the officials would prepare a report and submit it to the government. Based on it, a team of chief engineers would visit the villages and work on the issue, it was learnt.
Tel is the lifeline for farmers of Nabarangpur, Deogarh and other nearby districts. The neighbouring state government’s decision to build a barrage on Tel is seen as a conspiracy and comes at a time when there is no sign of settlement of the ongoing dispute over sharing of Mahanadi water between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
With Tel connecting Kalahandi, Bolangir, Subarnapur and Nabarangpur districts before joining Mahanadi, it is feared that the Tel barrage would lead to the submergence of 150 acres of farmland, bringing a huge loss to farmers of the state.
Already, barrages across Mahanadi upstream have led to water scarcity in Odisha and the crisis is likely to deepen with the construction of the mega irrigation project.
As per reports, the Chhattisgarh government has sanctioned Rs 18 crore for the first phase of the project that is set at the confluence of Tel and Barahi rivers. While the Chhattisgarh government aims to irrigate over 3,000 acres of agricultural land in that state that will benefit more than 30 villages, Odisha will have to bear the brunt.
The project will put thousands of Odisha farmers in trouble who are dependent on Tel for agriculture. Moreover, several villages along the border will be marooned if the flow of the river is obstructed.
Chhattisgarh’s move to construct 13 barrages across Mahanadi has already become a bone of contention between the two states. In addition, Chhattisgarh has also been constructing seven pick up weirs (small dams) across the river.
The move snowballed into a major political issue as the Odisha government is against the building of dams and barrages on Mahanadi citing that such constructions would adversely affect interests of the farmers in the state.
PNN
