Farmers question purpose of Hatimunda check dam

Farmers of Kalyansinghpur block here have alleged that Hatimunda check dam over Nagavali river has failed to serve its purpose to irrigate agriculture lands due to substandard canal work.

RAYAGADA : Farmers of Kalyansinghpur block here have alleged that Hatimunda check dam over Nagavali river has failed to serve its purpose to irrigate agriculture lands due to substandard canal work.
Poor quality work has also resulted in leaking of water from cracks and craters on the canal walls, said farmers of Dhamunipanga, Karapa, Narayanpur and Kalyansinghpur panchayats, who depend on the irrigation project. 

Hatimunda check dam was washed away in the flash floods of 2017. It was reconstructed last year at a cost of `4 crore. Sources said the check dam and canal were designed to irrigate at least 2,000 hectare of land in the block. Farmers alleged that the contractor used stones instead of concrete which has resulted in formation of cracks on the side walls of the canal. Several craters have also surfaced on the walls through which water is flowing to other areas instead of farmlands.   

The farmers said this year, due to scanty rainfall, farmlands are thirsting for water and broadcasting of seeds is yet to be taken up in many parts of the block. 

“Repeated complaints regarding the poor quality work have been ignored by Agriculture officials. The contractor carried out the substandard work in connivance with the officials,” alleged the farmers. Contacted, Junior Engineer Satya Narayan remained tight-lipped on the matter.

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