Baliapal: Solasha Pantha, an area spread over 1600 square/miles tagged as the rice bowl of Baliapal block in Balasore district, has been waterlogged due to incessant rains and flood.
Locals accuse the government of making no provision for draining out rainwater from the area which is known for khariff paddy harvest.
Reports said local farmers have been growing high-yielding paddy in the area for the last 10 years. Last year, farmers had failed to produce good yield. Sadly, they have not yet received their insurance for the loss, they alleged.
However, farmers had a lot of hope for bumper crop this year from this low-lying area due to good rainfall, but water-logging has spoiled their hopes. With water-logging being a major problem for the farmers, they have not been able to sow seeds till date.
Farmers living in Madhupura, Deula, Balarampur, Balikuti, Panchupali, Jamkunda, Badash, Pratappur, Jagatipur, Ratai, Baliapal, Choumukh, Dagara, Aladiha, Betagadia, Nuagaon, Jambirai, Bolang, Kunduli and Baniadiha panchayats have farmlands in the area, which stretches from Jamkunda to Bolang. Coast Canal passes through the area but is heavily silted at many places.
Earlier, rainwater used to drain out through the canal at Jamkunda sluice lock, but for the last several years, the sluice has not been working, even though it was repaired five years ago.
Locals alleged that the sluice lock has broken due to substandard work. As result, water of the area fails to find an outlet into the sea.
In the dry season, salty water also gushes into farmlands through the broken lock.
Farmers said that if the sluice lock were working properly, water would have drained out of farmlands.
They alleged lakhs of rupees which were spent towards the sluice gate repairing, went down the drain. The farmers urged MP Rabindra Jena to do the needful.
Assistant executive engineer of irrigation division, Jaykrushna Behera said all possible steps will be taken to drain out rainwater from the area. PNN
