Even though water was released by the Upper Kolab project authority in the ayacut areas of Jeypore after a delay of 10 days on December 26, Dhanpur distributary system is yet to get water.
Sources said the Dhanpur distributary system which covers around 10,000 hectares did not receive any water as repair work is still going on in the canal system.
The Upper Kolab project is supposed to irrigate over 25,000 hectares of land in ensuing rabi crop in Kotpad, Jeypore and Borigumma blocks through nine distributary systems. Water was to be released on December 15 but it was deferred to December 20 and then to December 25. The delay was caused as the chief construction engineer and executive engineer of the project who visited the dam found that the ground level works in different canals particularly the main canal would take more time.
Accordingly, the executive engineer of the project PR Dash sought more days for release of the water to ayacut areas from the apex committee that comprises 94 pani panchayts of the district.
Meanwhile, Dash said water was released with minimum level in main canal as per the schedule and it would go up in coming days. Also, water will be released in the Dhanpur distributary system by January 1.