ROURKELA: IN a significant move, the rain-fed Sundargarh district is aggressively working on multiple drought-proofing measures with traditional and modern interventions while a series of other initiatives has been taken aimed at reducing drinking water scarcity in rural pockets.
Sources said numerous dug wells, ring wells, farm ponds and water conservation structures are being constructed along with renovation of ponds across the district as traditional ways to fight drought. Digging deep borewells, installation of Lift Irrigation (LI) points by Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation and Odisha Agro Industries Corporation (OAIC) , setting up of sprinklers, drip irrigation projects and plastic lining of ponds are underway as modern interventions.
They said as permanent rural assets, these dug wells, ring wells, farm ponds and deep borewells would help fight drought-like situation for the benefit of small and marginal farmers. These micro-irrigation projects would also boost their livelihood and additionally mitigate the water woes of human and livestock during summer.
Sources in Sundargarh District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) said that financial sanctions have been given for 19,000 dug wells and ring wells of which 4,402 have been completed and only parapet works are remaining to be done. In view of the panchayat polls, the administration has extended its target to complete about 10,000 more such projects before monsoon.
DRDA Project Administrator SK Meena asserted that the target has been extended from March to June in order to complete 10,000 dug wells and ring wells. OLIC sources said about 4,500 deep bore wells have been energised while above 100 LI projects of the OLIC and OAIC are underway and three mega LI projects are coming up in river Brahmani.
This apart, till April 2016, about 400 solar pump projects were completed and installations of 180 other solar pump projects were underway by the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation in rural pockets of the district to mitigate drinking water scarcity in summer. Each solar pump set with 5,000 litres overhead tank is capable of discharging 20,000 litres of water per day. Jaya Oram, a marginal farmer of Balanda village in Lathikata, said during summer, he used to suffer a lot in the absence of irrigation. But now, he is assured of getting water throughout the year, he added. The district was declared drought-hit in 2015.