Chandbali: Galia irrigation project on river Baitarani, once a lifeline for farmers in Chandbali block of Bhadrak, has long been defunct for lack of repair and maintenance.
As a result, thousands of farmers have to face problems trying to irrigate their farmlands and raise crops.
Farmers say, “Water does not discharge properly in rainy season due to technical snags in the sluice gates. Some prawn farmers have dug out a part of the spur on its east side, rendering the Rs 3.56 crore project defunct.”
They added that they have been demanding restoration of the project at different times. Finally, local MLA Byomkesh Ray held a meeting of farmers and announced restoration work of the project.
Though the restoration has just started at a cost of Rs 18 lakh, the tardy pace of work has made the farmers impatient.
Harekrushna Mohanty, junior engineer of the irrigation department, assured, “The restoration will be completed by March 15.”
Local people had mooted a proposal for this project before then Chief Minister Biju Patnaik when he was visiting the area on a boat during the 1971 cyclone. However, there was an inordinate delay in executing the proposal.
In 1990, the government initiated efforts for the project, but its work was started in 2005.
NABARD funded Rs 3.56 crore for the project, which was executed by the Saladi water resource division at Bhadrak. It was completed in 2008 and caters to irrigational need of about one third panchayats of this block.
Most parts of Chandballi block are affected by ingress of saline water through creeks, rivulets and rivers. Only during rainy season, water turns salty.
Galia irrigation project was aimed at checking sweet water and preventing entry of saline ingression.
Orasahi sarpanch Akshay Nayak demanded that the restoration of the project should be completed as soon as possible in the larger interest of farmers.
Farmers pointed out that there are several prawn gherries on both sides of the Galia creek. Prawn farmers need saline water for prawn growing. After the irrigation project was made functional, saline water from sea was prevented.
Upset over this, some prawn farmers have dug out a part of its spur to divert the saline water to their gherries. PNN