BHAWANIPATNA: Deficit rainfall from June 2021 to October 2021 has marred prospects of good yield in Rabi season in the district. The situation has also aggravated as irrigation sources other than the Indravati project are far below their target coverage areas.
According to an assessment of Agriculture department, a target was fixed to cover 62321 hectares (Ha) in the current Rabi season from various sources like major, medium, minor and lift irrigation systems. Though the Indravati major project has been providing irrigation to over 18680 hectares as per the Rabi programme, the contribution from other sources has been far low.
Hardly 60 to 65 percent of the target given to minor irrigation projects, check dams and lift irrigation projects has been achieved as water levels have depleted. “In view of this, the Rabi prospect this year does not seem bright except in Indravati project programmed areas,” said chief district agriculture officer Pradip Kumar Sahu.
The district has 135 minor irrigation projects of which 97 are reservoir type MIPs. Twenty-nine MIPs were programmed to provide irrigation for 1118 ha but only four are providing water to 305 ha. The Behera MIP is covering only 257 ha against its target of 1214 ha, Pipal nullah three ha against 324 ha, Bagpur 20 ha against 24 ha and Karanjkot MIP achieving five hectares against 305 ha target. MI division sources said since the reservoir of the MIPS are not filled up, it it difficult to manage water supply.
Similarly the 280 check dams aimed to provide Rabi irrigation to 1073 ha are going dry due to poor flow of water. The condition of 935 Lift irrigation projects supposed to irrigate 13222 ha are in no way better. As per Odisha Lift Irrigation sources, only 10794 ha have been irrigated through 835 projects.
To make matters worse, flow of water in small rivers like Sandol, Utei has also substantially reduced due to poor monsoon rain affecting LI projects in the banks of these rivers in Narla and Karlamunda blocks. The 136 Water Harvesting Structures (WHS) of soil conservation department aimed at providing water to 950 ha are mostly in semi dry condition now thus failing to provide water.
