Bhawanipatna: The Indravati irrigation project is known as the lifeline of Kalahandi district. It has failed to get noticed and is lying in a neglected condition as uncertainty loomed large over the repair and modernisation of its right canal, a report said here Wednesday. As a result, the farmers are worried about not getting water from the canal for irrigation and face subsequent crop loss.
The right canal is in a poor condition due to sub-standard construction works carried out earlier. This has happened despite the Chief Minister laying the foundation stone for repairing, lining and modernisation works of the canal in 2014 and approving a plan outlay of Rs 365 crore for the purpose.
The dam authorities called a tender for repairing and renovation of its two reaches (0-40 and 41-84) for six times since 2014 but are yet to finalise any tender and cancelling it each time over different reasons. The cancellation of the tender for six times since 2014 has raised serious doubts in the minds of the people.
Notably, last year farmers were at a loss after they failed to get water from the right canal to irrigate over 28,000 hectares of farmland during the rabi season. This happened as the dam authorities did not release water from the canal for irrigation as the tender process was on during the period to finalise the lowest bidder.
This year the authorities have planned to provide water from the canal for 28,000 hectares and 53,265 hectare of additional land for irrigation in the coming Rabi crop season which will start from January 1, next year.
The agriculture department has prepared a draft policy for the farmers in advance when there is no progress on the repairing and modernization of the right canal.
The whole tender process is mired in suspicion. It is alleged that if the tender process is finalized then the consultancy agency will be not be able to start work as the dam authorities would be discharging water for the farmers in the canal.
As a result, the consultancy agency and the dam authorities will have to wait till the next Rabi season to start works in the canal. Moreover, the inordinate delay in finalization of the tender has led to a sharp rise in the tender cost.
