JAGATSINGHPUR:Rabi cultivation in eight blocks of Jagatsinghpur district has been hit due to non-release of irrigation water through Machgaon and Taladanda canals. Farmers fear the yield is likely to come down by 40 per cent this year against last year’s harvest due to shortage of water and reduction of crop area.
While renovation of Taladanda canal is on since 2010 with assistance from Asian Development Bank, work on Machgaon canal started last year. In 2010, irrigation department had started renovation and up-gradation of Taladanda canal from Biribati to Bhutmundei and it was targeted to complete it by 2014. But, with the work still continuing farmers have been facing a harrowing time during rabi season.
On the other hand, work on Machgaon canal was started in 2016 and will continue till 2018 thus washing away the hopes of farmers for irrigation water. Release of water from Jobra barrage too has been stopped following drop in water level in its reservoir leaving the farmers at their wits end.
According to sources, as a majority of fields are rain-fed farmers had no trouble in cultivating kharif crop. But, for rabi they are solely dependent on irrigation system which is taking its toll on their profits.
In-charge Deputy Director, Agriculture, Subendu Kumar Mohanty agreed that non supply of water through the two canals has hit rabi cultivation for the last four years. The farmers have been advised to cultivate paddy and others crops by using LI points and shallow tube-wells.Only those farmers whose lands can be irrigated by LI points and shallow tube-wells in Naugaon and Balikuda areas have been asked to cultivate paddy. But, depletion of groundwater has posed difficulties for the farmers in getting water from LI points and shallow tube-wells. Executive Engineer, Machgoan Canal Division Nrusingh Shaoo said, there is no proposal to release irrigation water through Machgaon canal during rabi season as renovation would continue till 2018.