Kashinagar: A mega lift irrigation project was set up in 2019 at Bathba under Kashinagar block of Gajapati district to give irrigation coverage to acres of land in the area. Rs 2.90 crore was spent on the project.
Pipelines were laid in some areas. Farmers had hopes that farming will take a leap forward, but they had to be disappointed as the project has not been made fully functional.
Farmers of Alda and Shiali panchayats alleged that their farmlands are deprived of irrigation as pipelines have not been laid in their area. This has been fuelling resentment among farmers.
Earlier, some farmers had submitted a memorandum to the authorities at the head office in Bhubaneswar in this regard. They alleged that no step was taken in this direction till date.
“The officials and the contractor concerned claimed to have completed the project, which, in fact, has failed to deliver water in the farmlands of the two panchayats,” they lamented.
Farmers claimed that 61 lift irrigation points were to be operationalised, but only six have been made functional. Local farmers and intelligentsia had held a meeting at Khuringa in June.
The assistant engineer of the Bathba Mega Irrigation Project (Cluster-1) was invited. At that time, the farmers told the engineer about the problem of the irrigation project. He had assured the farmers that the work will be completed very soon, but nothing has happened as per his assurance, the farmers rued.
Farmers had urged the department to fill in the water bodies dug out by the Gajapati Maharaja in Kashipur block and NAC area with the help of this lift irrigation project.
The state government had directed the PD and the CEO of the water resources department to look into the demands of the farmers. The farmers have warned of an agitation if no action is taken in this regard.
PNN
