SAMBALPUR: The Sason canal under Hirakud Dam Project will undergo a major renovation to improve the flow of water. The canal will be renovated at an estimated cost of Rs 63 crore using cementite composition duplex carpet (CCDC) technology. The detailed project report (DPR) submitted by the Irrigation department for renovation work has already been approved by the State government.
The use of CCDC technology will ensure that the flow of water in the canal is not stopped for a longer period for the renovation work. Sources said it will take around two months to complete the work using the new technology. If the old method of cement concreting was used, it would have taken years to renovate the canal, thereby disrupting water flow in the canal for a long period.
This would have caused inconvenience to hundreds of farmers depending on the canal for farming. Around 2,150 hectare of agriculture land avail water for irrigation from the 22 km Sason canal. Executive Engineer, Irrigation Pramod Panda said around eight km stretch of the canal will be renovated under the project. The tender has already been floated and work is likely to begin in November this year, if things go as per plan.
Under the new method, an 11 mm thick concrete carpet will be laid on the canal bed which will help accelerate the flow of water. This apart, the carpeting will also prevent wild growth which hinders the flow and restricts water from reaching to the tail end. Around Rs 40 lakh is being spent for de-weeding the canal every year. The CCDC method will minimise the maintenance expenditure.
Earlier, renovation of the Sason canal was carried out twice. While the canal embankment was strengthened at a cost of Rs 34 crore in 2002-2003, another renovation work was done in 2007-08 at a cost of Rs 70 crore.