Hatadihi/Bancho: Residents of Bancho village under Hatadihi block in Kendujhar district blocked the State Highway 53 Thursday to protest the absence of irrigation facilities for their farmland despite the Baitarani River and a canal running through the area. Due to the blockade, several vehicles travelling between Anandapur and Bhadrak were stranded on the highway.
Villagers complained that thousands of acres of farmland remain dry for lack of proper irrigation despite the Baitarani River and a canal flowing nearby. Farmers said repeated complaints to the Irrigation Department have fallen on deaf ears. Fearing heavy crop losses, they said that discontent over the lack of irrigation has been building for a long time. The protesters demanded a permanent solution, immediate water supply to their farmlands and a reliable irrigation system. They vowed to stay on the road until their demands were met.
On being informed, Hatadi hi Block Development Officer (BDO) Ranjan Parida rushed to the site and held talks with the protesters. Farmers Udaya Narayan Mohanty, Markanda Jha, Pradeep Biswal, Pradeep Raut, Nandakishore Nayak, Santosh Baral, Madan Nayak, and Bancho sarpanch Prashanta Raut participated in the discussion. The blockade was lifted after the Irrigation Department promised to supply water from the Baitarani canal using motor pumps.
Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily
