ROURKELA: CONSTRUCTION of the much-awaited Rukura Medium Irrigation project, which aims to release irrigation water for 5,463 hectares (ha) in kharif crop season and 2,185 ha in rabi, is nearing completion.
On a trial run in August, the project will release water for 3,000 ha of agricultural land. Major portions of the project, with its earthen dam located at Musaposh village of Gurundia block in the Bonai sub-division, have been completed. Executive Engineer of Rukura project, Sunil Nayak, said that major works, including construction of the earth dam with concrete spillway and head regulator, have been completed, while work on 25 per cent of the canal system is pending due to litigations over high compensation demand by the land oustees.
He said construction of four radial gates is underway with a target to complete them in the next three months. Nayak said by August, they have a target to release water to 3,000 ha on trial basis, provided good rainfall fills up the reservoir. The total project cost is `256.09 crore and works worth `15 crore are underway, he added.
Conceptualised in 1982, work on Rukura project had started in 2011 but remained stuck till April 2013 due to protests.
On becoming fully operational, the dam project envisages irrigation of 5,463 ha in kharif season and 2,185 ha in rabi season through its 10.87 km main canal system and 110 km sub-canal system, covering 74 villages in Bonai sub-division.
Meanwhile, Talsara, Sarafgarh, Pitamahal and Kansbahal medium irrigation dams have been closed for renovation from 2015. Executive Engineer of the four projects A K Biswal said that in the first phase, Talsara, Sarafgarh and Pitamahal projects are getting renovated at a cost of `33 crore under Canal Lining & System Rehabilitation (CLSR) schemes with target to be completed by June 2017.
In the next phase, `16 crore would be spent towards remaining works of the three projects. He said canal renovation and rehabilitation of Kansbahal irrigation project is also underway. The total ayacut area of the four dams is about 11,800 ha and they plan to release water in the next fortnight by suspending works.