Post News Network
Jeypore, Jan 13: Hundreds of farmers in Koraput district are in a state of panic as the canal water under Upper Kolab multipurpose irrigation project does not reach their farmlands, according to a report.
Cultivators along several sub-canals as well as the tail point of the main canal, who started farming depending upon Kolab water, are apprehensive over the fate of their crops. Though they took up the matter with the administration on several occasions, it didn’t yield results, they alleged. The farmers further claimed that they pay regular water tax but fail to get water in time.
Meanwhile, sub-collector Madhusmita Sahoo held a meeting which was attended by revenue officials of Jeypore, Borigumma and Kotpad blocks, junior engineer and sub-divisional officer of irrigation department and several tehsildars. The sub-collector asked the departments to conduct a survey in the matter. She asked officials to find out the regions which fail to get the canal water and submit a report by February end. Based on the report, measures would be taken to address the issue on a permanent basis, Sahoo said.
It was learnt that water was released from the reservoir December 20 last year for rabi cultivation. However, water fails to proceed beyond 17 to 18 km in main canal. Farmers in tail points of the canal including Patraput, Ghatabagara, Shashahandi, Kupia, Bagderi and Shankada who began rabi cultivation this season are worst-hit by the dearth of water.
On the other hand, the farmers said water level in the reservoir gets reduced due to faulty management by the dam authorities. By the first week of January, farmers make the soil ready to start rabi cultivation. Release of excess water in river Sati during November and December which is considered a dull period for cultivation has resulted in water scarcity, the paddy growers said, adding, the water should be released to the canal instead of river.
The department, in local agriculture district, aimed at cultivation in 27,600 hectares of land including farming of 7,600 hectares of non-paddy crops in Kolab ayacut areas this rabi season. But shortage of water in several areas is likely to affect the target, sources said.
The dam receives 1,500 mm of annual rainfall while the reservoir attains its full capacity with rain between 1,200 to 1,300 mm a year. Generally, the spilled over water during energy production is released in canal for cultivation purposes, sources added.
