BHAWANIPATNA: With the district administration targeting to irrigate 53, 625 hectare of land through Indravati during the rabi season, the proposed renovation of the right canal of the project has been clouded by uncertainty.Of the 55, 300 to be irrigated in the rabi season, paddy is to be grown over 53, 625 ha through Indravati while the rest will be covered by cereals, pulses, oil seed and vegetables.
As the administration is planning to release water through the right canal for rabi crops from January 1, it is unlikely that the renovation work will start soon. In the last rabi season, Indravati project could irrigate only 32, 552 ha as water was not released to 28, 000 ha to facilitate repair and renovation of the right canal. Several portions of the canal are in a damaged condition.
Incidentally, for lining and system rehabilitation programme of the 84 km long canal, tenders have been invited for two reaches six times since 2014 at an estimated cost of `332 crore. However, the tenders could not be finalised.
Chief construction engineer of Upper Indravati project Nirmal Chandra Pradhan said tender for one reach has been referred to the Law department for clearance. Once it is cleared, repair and renovation works will be taken up. If the tenders are finalised during the Rabi season, then ancillary works can start, Pradhan added.