Bhawanipatna: A long-pending demand of farmers dependent on the Indravati irrigation system in Kalahandi district is set to be fulfilled, with the state government initiating steps to modernise the Indravati left main canal.
A detailed project report (DPR) worth Rs 560 crore has been prepared for the 52-km canal stretch from the headworks to the tail end, sources said. The move is expected to address chronic water supply is sues that have troubled farmers for more than three decades.
The Indravati Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project is considered the lifeline of Kalahandi district, supporting agriculture across vast stretches of the district. Since irrigation through the canal network began in 1994, farmers have relied on water from the left and right canals for kharif and rabi cultivation.
Together with the mega lift canal system, the project irrigates about 1.28 lakh hectares of farmland. While the right canal underwent renovation a few years ago, the left canal has deteriorated due to inadequate maintenance.
Farmers in Jayapatna, Koksara, Kalampur, Dharmagarh, Junagarh and Golamun da blocks have repeatedly complained of water shortages and canal damage, often staging protests over the issue.
The matter was raised in the state Assembly by Dharmagarh MLA Sudhir Pattjoshi, prompting the state government to initiate a comprehensive renovation plan. A high-level team of Water Resources department officials recently inspected the canal. The canal network supports farmers in 256 villages and irrigates around 59,309 hectares of agricultural land.
According to Indravati Chief Construction Engineer Gobardhan Nayak, the canal will be upgraded using modern engineering and irrigation technologies. The project is expected to ensure efficient water distribution and reduce losses, benefiting thousands of farmers. Farmers have welcomed the initiative, describing it as a major relief.
They said the modernisation would end years of uncertainty and eliminate the need to spend sleepless nights waiting for canal water to reach their fields. The Indravati project has played a key role in trans forming drought-prone Kalahandi into a major agricultural producer.
Annual paddy production in the district has risen from about 65,000 quintals in the past to nearly 9.5 million quintals, making it one of Odisha’s leading rice-producing regions.
Farmers attribute this agricultural success largely to the Indravati irrigation network.
