JEYPORE: Incessant rain in the catchment areas of Upper Kolab Dam has filled up its reservoir in Koraput district. With fresh inflows, the water level in the dam has shot up from 847 metres about a week ago to 852.66 metres on Sunday against the full reservoir level of 858 metre.
The water level of Kolab reservoir had dipped in July raising concerns over power generation and irrigation in Jeypore sub-division for kharif and rabi crop seasons. The water level reduced by three metres due to deficit rainfall in the catchment areas, lowest in five years.
Even it forced the irrigation officials to regulate the supply of water for power generation and farming through canals. However, continuous downpour in reservoir’s catchment areas in Koraput, Pottangi, Lamataput, Nandapur and Semiliguda blocks during the past one week has led to increase in the water level.
The catchment areas had recorded 872 mm rainfall causing flood-like situation in the district. As on Sunday, the water level stood at 852.66 metres as against 851 metres on this day last year.
Similarly, the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation’s project has a capacity to generate 320 MW electricity with availability of full water level in the reservoir. Besides, farmers of Jeypore, Kotpad, Kundra and Borrigumma blocks depend on the reservoir for irrigation in both kharif and rabi seasons.
About 42,500 hectare land is irrigated through Upper Kolab project and the increase in water level in the reservoir has brought a sigh of relief to the farmers.
On the other hand, rainfall has facilitated farm works in Jeypore, Kundra, Borrigumma, Kotpad and Boipariguda with farmers completing transplantation of paddy saplings in more than 80 per cent of the cultivable land in the district. This year, paddy sowing was delayed by 20 days due to scanty rainfall in June and first week of July.