CUTTACK: With rains doing a vanishing act, community lift irrigation (LI) points have now left the farmers of Cuttack district in the lurch. Amid drought-like situation, the defunct LI points have added to the woes of farmers who are struggling to save their transplanted paddy fields.
A total 1,371 community LI points were set up in 14 blocks to irrigate 33,784 hectare (ha) of land having no canal linkage. But as many as 332 LI points are lying defunct affecting irrigation in 9,608 ha of agricultural land in the district.
While highest 205 lift irrigation points were installed in Mahanga block, at least 57 have failed to deliver water. Similarly, 36 LI points are lying defunct against 149 in Cuttack Sadar block, 39 LI points against 109 in Badamba block, 39 against 147 in Banki Dampada block, 23 against 102 points in Narasinghpur and 18 against 138 LI points in Niali block.
Though the Water Resources department officials are claiming that 1,039 lift irrigation projects are in working condition to supply water to 24,171 ha of land, the ground reality is different. Sources said out of 1,039 operational LI points, more than 300 projects are lying idle due to disconnection of power supply owing to non-payment of electricity bill.
In the absence of adequate rainfall, farmers who have been left to fend for themselves are worried with an impending drought-like situation staring in the face. “We had taken up kharif paddy cultivation depending on the LI points.
But the projects have failed to deliver water exposing the unpreparedness of the State government in combating drought-like situation. It is also too expensive to provide water by using motor pumps from nearby water sources,” said farmers of Cuttack Sadar block.
Executive Engineer of Cuttack LI Division Pabitra Parida said while repair work is on to restore 49 defunct LI points with the fund availed from the State government in 2020-21, another 10 projects will be repaired soon with the money sanctioned in 2021-2022 financial year.
Damaged facilities
57 LI points in Mahanga.
39 each in Badamba and Banki Dampada.
36 in Cuttack Sadar.
23 in Narasinghpur.
18 in Niali block.