MALKANGIRI : Farmers of Malkangiri, who depend on Potteru Irrigation Project for cultivation, are a worried lot. Like last year, water from the project has failed to reach the tail ends this year too. It has been a recurring problem for the last three decades.
The 155-km Gompakonda Main Canal (GMC) and Tamasa Main Canal (TMC), both parts of Potteru project, lack lining that results in seepage of irrigation water. Utilisation of canal water, therefore, has been abysmal beyond 35 km of canal length. The farmers, who depend on the project for both rabi and kharif crop, said lining of the canals is needed as lined canals (concrete work) block seepage and improve the flow of water to tail ends of canals.
Of the 155 km long canals, lining work has been undertaken only on 35 km in phase I that started in 2017. While 76 km of GMC was to be lined, work on 16 km has been completed so far. Similarly, 19 kms of 79-km TMC has been lined, said Executive Engineer of Potteru Irrigation Division, Prafula Kumar Pradhan. Lining work on both Gompakonda and Tamasa Main canals, which is estimated to cost around Rs 300 crore, has been undertaken for the first time since the water bodies were created 35 years back.
The farmers alleged that due to massive loss of water owing to seepage, they are unable to meet the kharif target of cultivating 61,034 hectare (ha) and 48,850 ha in rabi. Malkangiri is the largest producer of groundnuts but the yield would be less this time due to insufficient irrigation water, said a farmer of Kenduguda village, Guru Behera, who owns four acres of cultivable land.
The farmers have sought intervention of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Water Resources Department’s Principal Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena to take immediate steps for completion of canal lining work. Pradhan said a proposal to undertake lining work in remaining portions of the canals has been sent to the Government.