Padia: Even as the Orissa Hydro Power Corporation Limited (OHPC) had set up two small hydropower projects at Gamphakunda under this block in Malkangiri district about 15 years back, the twin projects are yet to go downstream.
Though crores of rupees were pumped into the projects, they do not help electricity consumers nor farmers, leaving the expensive machinery to rot, said a local sarpanch.
On the other hand, neighbouring Andhra Pradesh government bordering Malkangiri has supplied electricity to consumers and facilitated irrigation facilities to the farmers by setting up two similar projects on river Sileru at Dankarai.
According to reports, OHPC had set up Balimela Hydro Electric Project to solve acute power crisis in the district and offer irrigation facilities to farmers. The project had left people of seven panchayats of Chitrakonda block marooned in water. The power generated from the project is supplied across the state and beyond. But the district still suffers from regular load-shedding.
People living in remote areas, especially in Padia and Kalimela blocks, are deprived of electricity for days together. This has also affected the farm work. Though the lift irrigation department has its presence in these blocks, the farmers fail to avail the facility due to regular power outage.
OHPC, to solve the problems of farmers, launched two 3 KVA small hydro power projects on Poteru canal in 1991 which were completed in 2002. However, the projects are yet to generate power.
When asked about the fate of the projects, former executive engineer D Mallik, who was in charge of the centre, said he is no longer in charge. The government had decided to hand over the projects to a private company and he has no information on the issue, Mallik added.
Bapanpalli sarpanch Narmada Kamram demanded immediate commissioning of the projects in the interest of the farmers.
“While AP government has illuminated houses of people living on the other side of the border, people here stay in darkness and farmers fail to get water,” lamented Girikanpalli sarpanch Kumari Dule Madhi. PNN
