Jhumpura: The inordinate delay in completion of canal renovation of the Jagdala irrigation project has proved to be a hurdle for irrigation in the kharif season in Jhumpura block of Keonjhar district.
Farmers who had missed the rabi crop for lack of irrigation are worried now. They fear if water is not available for the kharif season, they will lose this crop too.
Given the hilly and forested topography, the government built Jagdala irrigation project in Malda (panchayat) in 1988-89 to irrigate 1,200 hectares of land. The reserve area of the dam is 200 acres with a catchment area of 45 sq km.
The dam receives huge amounts of water which thousands of farmers in Malda, Kandarapasi, Rengalabeda, Tulasipur, Dhanurjaypur, Kunjardihi, Kalisui and Silisuan panchayats use for raising crops.
However, in the last few years they have been deprived of sufficient water because the main canal and branch canals have been in bad shape at various places for lack of maintenance.
After repeated demands from the local farmers, the irrigation department undertook renovation of canals at a cost of `3 crore a few years ago. The department had decided not to release water in the canals due to ongoing renovation work and this was announced through a notification. As a result, the farmers could not grow rabi crop last year.
Farmers alleged that the contractor is carrying out the work at a snail’s pace even though he has been given sufficient time to complete it.
“There is no sight of the canal renovation being completed soon and we have to stop the kharif farming this year,” lamented farmers Sunaram Majhi, Japani Majhi, Adesh Munda, Kedar Nayak and Mahendra Mohant.
Upset over the tardy progress of work, farmers insisted that the department and the contractor should finish the work as soon as possible. They warned of an agitation if the water is not released for the kharif season. They also decided to forcibly release the water in the canal if nothing is done by the department to address their concern.
Executive engineer of the minor irrigation division in Keonjhar, Sudhakar Behera, said the contractor was asked to complete the renovation work early. “We are trying our best to release water in the canals before Raja festival ahead of the sowing season,” he added.
PNN