Post News Network
Chandbali, March 7: Over a hundred famers from seven panchayats under this block Saturday staged a sit-in outside the local tehsil office in support of their demands for supply of water to their farmland from river Salandi and effective measures to check ingress of saline water.
Later, a delegation of farmers submitted a memorandum to the tehsildar. In the memorandum, the farmers expressed concern that saline water is finding an outlet into Baitrarani river at the Jaudia sluice gate which has damaged. They pointed out that the saline water entering farmland is taking its toll on crop production apart from impacting the fertility of the land.
On the other hand, water released from Hadagada dam does not reach vast expanses of farmland in this block, they stated. The water is discharged into Salandi, but a dyke at Tihidi across the river has become a stumbling block, they added.
They also claimed that summer paddy saplings have started wilting due to want of water with the district administration taking no steps to find a permanent solution.
They threatened that over 250 farmers, who have grown summer paddy, will have no way but to end their lives if the administration fails to take immediate steps in this regard.
Summer paddy has grown over 18,000 hectares in villages like Baligan, Badabastia, Tentulidiha, Bhuinbbruti, Bhatapada, Madhapur, Ghatapur, Nalgunda, Aradi, Sundarpur and Nandapur in this block. The saline nature of the water of Baitarani river has become a problem for farmers who depend on this for farming.
The tehsildar also held a discussion with the farmers and assured them that he would take up the matter with the district collector in this regard. The agitating farmers later relented.
Meanwhile, two officials of the district administration visited the dyke area at Tihidi.
