BHAWANIPATNA: The authorities of Indravati canal division temporarily plugged the breach in its right canal on Friday.
The breach was found below the culvert drainage of the right canal through which water gushed and entered Pandigaon, submerging large part of the village under Kalampur block. The gushing water inundated the village lanes and entered some houses. About 100 acres of paddy field also got submerged and people had to wade through knee-deep water.
To check the situation, the canal gate at Mangalpur barrage was closed and release of water into the right canal was stopped on Thursday morning to check further flooding. Repair work was taken up on a war-footing to plug the breach.
Indravati Right canal division Executive Engineer Rajkumar Behera said officials of the division plugged the breach with the cooperation of villagers. Water will be released on trial basis in the canal on Friday night and paddy growers, who need to water their rabi crops, will not be put to much trouble.
The right canal system is in a dilapidated condition and breaches its banks at regular intervals at different places. The proposal for repair and renovation has not been taken up as tenders for the work have been cancelled seven times for different reasons.