Bant: A check dam dating back to the British days which was a lifeline source of irrigation has run down and become futile for local farmers under Bant block in Bhadrak district,
The local farmers in this region owing to the lack of a proper source of irrigation bear the brunt of it and fail to optimize their farming produce and other allied activities. The check dam finds a scant use with the local fishermen who use it for fishing purposes. But this is nothing in comparision to the times when the dam used to support the livelihoods of thousands of farmers, a source said.
The dam was constructed on the river Sarusagar, 500 metres away from Ganijanga bazaar and Ganijanga-Jambabani road in order to irrigate nearby farmlands, the source said. It is worth mentioning here that the region had no canal facility during those days.
Due to gross neglect for the past 40 years, the shutters of the dam have got damaged which makes storing of rainwater difficult and sluice gates fail to irrigate the farmlands.
Some local farmers of Hasinpur and Ganijanga villages demanded “As local fishermen are seen fishing here, restoration of check dam would certainly benefit farmers”.
The check dam is popularly known as Desha Bandha in Bant region. Three sluice gates on the right side of river are usually kept shut and stored rainwater is released through two outlets on the left side.
Once upon a time, the dam was catering to the irrigation needs of hundred acres of farmlands in several local villages namely Binayakpur, Sethisahi, Mallicksahi, Ganijanga, Hasinpur, Barapada, Abdullahpur, Koranta, Olanga, mouzas under Bant and Bhadrak blocks, the farmers expressed.
On being contacted, Bhadrak drainage division junior engineer Sankarshan Mandal said, “Local farmers have to draw the attention of higher officials in the irrigation department in this regard. Construction of a new check dam in the place of old one could be expedited then”.
PNN
