JAGATSINGHPUR: At least 15 villages under Raghunathpur tehsil were inundated following a breach in Machhagaon canal embankment at Nuada near Tarikunda bazaar on Wednesday.
Water entered the villages under Nuada and Tarikunda panchayats due to a 15-foot breach on the embankment after irrigation water was released in Machhagaon canal. Thousands of hectares of paddy fields were also submerged with water level reaching two to three feet in many farmlands.
Tarikunda bazaar was completely submerged while canal water entered the local madrasa, panchayat office, police beat house and cooperative society office. Sources said knee-deep water flowed over the Cuttack-Nuagaon highway, disrupting vehicular traffic for nearly two hours on the day. Local police rushed to the spot and diverted vehicles through alternate routes to ease congestion.
Sarpanch of Tarikunda Banamali Sahoo said last year, a 20-foot breach had occurred at the same spot on the embankment leading to inundation of vast tracts of paddy fields. This year again, excess irrigation water was released without proper supervision, leading to a breach at the weak point.
“Substandard work is the primary cause of recurring breaches. We demand complete renovation of the canal and concrete lining on both sides to prevent water seepage,” he said.
Superintending engineer of the Water Resources department Kamdev Das admitted that there was a structural weakness at the canal’s turning point. “Due to increased demand for irrigation, excess water was released in Machhagaon canal and this led to the breach. Officials have been deployed to plug the breach temporarily. A proposal will be sent to the state government for construction of a concrete embankment at the site to prevent future breaches,” he added.