Nayagarh: Farmers are no longer getting any benefit from the Dahuka dam, a medium irrigation project, at Laxmiprasad panchayat in Nayagarh district as it has reportedly been left unmaintained for years.
In 1970, the dam was constructed near Jamuban under Laxmiprasad panchayat. The flow of Lunijhara and Dahuka rivers was checked here to irrigate the farmlands. However, the dam was of little use for farmers after some time due to lack of maintenance.
“Had it worked properly, thousands of farmers in five panchayats like Khandugaon, Balugaon, Laxmiprasad, Gadadharprasa and Kridaspur could have been benefited from this project,” locals said.
The present situation is precipitated by the fact that it has not been maintained at all. As a result, the dam fails to retain water in the rainy season. According to Laxmiprasad sarpanch Soumya Ranjan Pradhan, the dam has not functioned up to its mark even for a day since its opening. The dam has silted up and is filled with wild plants and shrubs. If the anicut is dredged and water is stored, farmers can derive immense benefits from it by cultivating various crops apart from paddy.
“The water resource department has been apprised of the situation, but we are yet to understand why such a viable project is left unmaintained,” Pradhan added.
May be, the ground report is not properly prepared; or there is a lack of correlation between the panchayat and line department, he observed. “Had there been a foolproof programme and if it was implemented from the beginning, the dam would not have gone to such a deplorable condition,” Pradhan said.
However, it is learnt, for the longevity of the left and the right side of the dam from Dahuka diversion to Sajanapada, a proposal worth Rs 1,37,49,000 has been placed for approval. “For maintenance and renovation of the dam, a proposal worth Rs 9,87,67,000 has been placed for approval through a technical adviser committee. Once it gets approved, work will be started,” said executive engineer Amarendra Kumar Mohapatra.
PNN