Keonjhar: Even as the state government spends crores of rupees building irrigation projects to boost farming, a Rs 25-crore irrigation project in Keonjhar district has turned into a farmland due to years of neglect and lack of maintenance by the authorities.
As the dam lies dry most of the time, people have taken over patches of land inside it for farming, a report said. Locals alleged that due to lack of monitoring, irrigation projects fail to serve their purpose in the mineral-rich district no matter how much importance the government attaches to such projects.
Many farmers abandon farming mid-way due to non-availability of irrigation leading to hectares of land lying uncultivated. The sorry state of an irrigation project at Kakudiamba in Jagamohanpur panchayat under Telkoi block is a pointer to the government’s apathy toward agriculture in the district.
In 1989, the government decided to harness two hills for an irrigation project to provide water to farmlands during kharif and rabi seasons. Construction of Kakudiamba project was undertaken by laying a dam between the two hills. Local people living in Jagamohanpur, Chhamunda, Binjbahal, Saleikena and other panchayats hoped for better days post setting up of the project.
The dam aimed at providing irrigation to 160 hectares in kharif season and 283 hectares in rabi season. Initially, Rs 4 crore was estimated for the project, however, when the work progressed its cost overshot to Rs 25 crore.
Yet, the project could not be made fully operational. Local famers alleged that the work had been botched up resulting in the collapse of the dam. In later year, though crores of rupees were spent to repair it, it remained incomplete. Farmers said though they had drawn the attention of the administration to this, nothing has been done for its maintenance.
A part of the dam caved in when it was washed away in 2014.
The irrigation department attributed the collapse of the dam to massive floods and it recommended the government for its restoration. Expressing displeasure, locals said despite its sub-standard work, the government did not conduct an inquiry, which brought to the light the motive of the government.
It was learnt that the dam goes dry while some people have started cultivating land inside it.
Executive engineer of the irrigation department, Sudhakar Nayak said, ” The problem has cropped up after the dam collapsed due to floods in 2014. After consultation with a technical team, the department sought an approval for funds. The work will begin after funds were made available so that irrigation can be done during kharif season.”
Uncertainty loomed large over completion of the major irrigation project like Kanpur while other irrigation works like Kanjhari, Hadagada and Remal have failed to serve their purpose courtesy lack of maintenance and repair, it was learnt. PNN
