JAJPUR: Two major nullahs of Jajpur district are all set for an overhaul which will augment irrigation coverage in Bari. The drainage division of Water Resources Department began the groundwork for renovation of both Akhua Nullah and Medua Nullah both of which come under Bari assembly constituency in the district.
A delegation of the drainage division, led by its chief engineer Baleswarnath Sahoo, on Saturday visited Akhua Nullah and Medua Nullah. The team was also accompanied by Bari legislator Sunanda Das who had taken up the matter.
“I have witnessed for a long time that farmers are suffering because the two nullahs are not functional. In the summer, farming in hundreds of acres land is not possible due to non-availability of water. That’s why I decided to take it up so that thousands of farmers can be helped to raise their crop by availing water from the defunct nullahs,” said MLA Das.
She said the chief engineer of the drainage division has already visited the nullahs and discussed details as to how to revamp the two. A detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared and renovation work will start soon. Sahoo said, the nullahs have witnessed siltation due to non-cleaning of their beds for a long time. “We will prepare a DPR for improvement of the channels”, he added.
Akhua Nullah passes through many panchayats of Rasulpur block, while Medua Nullah touches at least 10 panchayats of Bari block. Both have been the primary irrigation source. However, huge deposits of mud and silt for years together have filled up the bed leading to a serious drop in water availability.