BHUBANESWAR: The Comptroller and Auditor general has rapped the State Government for wasteful expenditure of Rs 33.22 crore in the extension and modernisation of Gohira irrigation project in Deogarh which failed to meet the water requirements of farmers in the command area.
While the dam went dry during 2016-17 and 2017-18 crop seasons, water supply from the project to a command area of 8,100 hectare (ha) during 2011-15 was in the range of 7 per cent (pc) to 53 pc as against the projected 5,700 (70 pc of 8,100 ha).
Gohira medium irrigation sub-project located in the Brahmani river basin has been in operation since 1981.The Water Resources department took up extension, modernisation and rehabilitation of Gohira irrigation project to provide irrigation to 8,100 ha (100 per cent in kharif and 70 per cent in rabi).
The works were executed in seven packages between November 2010 and September 2012 for Rs 22.62 crore for completion between November 2012 and March 2014 under Odisha Integrated Irrigated Water Management Investment Programme.
The works were completed between November 2012 and January 2015 and the contractors were paid Rs 28.06 crore as there were deviations in quantities.
Further, 71 out of 120 watercourses were constructed between July 2013 and September 2014 at a cost of Rs 5.16 crore for distribution of water to tail end of the command area. "It was observed (March 2018) from the status report of Gohira Irrigation Project that just before the works were taken up, no water was available for rabi crop during 2009-11," the audit report said.
As per the Odisha Public Works Department (OPWD) code, detailed project report should indicate source of water, quantity of water available at different periods of the year and quantity proposed to be utilised. "Execution of project without pre-construction survey and investigation for availability of water led to unfruitful expenditure of Rs 33.22 crore," the CAG remarked.
The Gohira river is formed from the confluence of four nullas - Barghat, Saranali, Jautuka and Kansar - near village Ambaghat. Sources in the department said the water level of the dam drastically falls as these nullas go dry most of these years.