Jhumpura: The Jagdal minor irrigation project in Jumpura block of Keonjhar district has gradually been losing its water retaining capacity due to heavy siltation, a report said.
As a result, farmlands at the tail-end of the canals do not get water while thousands of farmers are in distress due to water scarcity.
The reservoir was built over 200 acres of land in 1988-89 to provide irrigation facility to 1,200 acres of farmland. With a catchment area of 45 sq km, water draining out from forests gets stored in the reservoir.
The main canal is 6 km long while its branch canals have a length of 25 km. After completion of the project, water was released in the canal in 1992-93 and hundreds of acres of farmland were irrigated at Kandarapasi, Rengalabeda, Tulasipur, Dhanurjaypur, Kunjardihi, Kalisui, Silisuan and several other villages under Jhumpura and Sadar blocks. For quite some years, farmers in the region benefitted from irrigation and raised various crops in kharif and rabi seasons.
However, over the years, silt was deposited in the reservoir and some of its canals. The siltation led the reservoir to lose its water retaining capacity. Besides, culverts and canal embankments have been damaged at places while the main shutter of the project is partially damaged.
Its main tunnel has developed cracks and a huge quantity of water goes waste through it. Farmers of Silisuan alleged that their farmlands are deprived of water for the last five years.
They also alleged that though their farmlands are deprived of irrigation facility, the authorities concerned still collect water cess from them.
After repeated complaints from farmers such as Sunaram Majhi, Iswar Majhi, Uday Purti, Gulu Nayak, Sigma Munda, Dhiren Nayak, Sanatan Besra, Laxmidhar Majhi, Munja Majhi, Lambu Mohant, Prafulla Nayak, Gobinda Nayak and Chhotray Majhi, the irrigation department has carried out repair of the canals. However, the farmers lamented that the repair was not properly carried out.
“Water is not reaching farmland while repair of canals at Silisuan, Kalisui and Kunjabahal has been ignored. The irrigation department claims to be spending lakhs of rupees towards repair of the canals, but the repair has turned out to be ineffective,” the farmers added.
It is said that water will not be released to farmland in the current rabi season. Local farmers have expressed their displeasure over this issue. A Padhi, assistant engineer of the irrigation department, said as he has recently joined, he was unaware of such a decision.
Sudhakar Behera, executive engineer of Keonjhar irrigation division, refused to comment on the issue. PNN