Farmers in Odisha's Bhawanipatna seek water as Indravati project stops supply

BHAWANIPATNA: Soon after irrigation from Indravati project for rabi irrigation was stopped on Tuesday,  farmers appealed to the authorities to extend supply for a week more as their standing paddy crop is in flowering-to-dough stage and requires water.

For the current rabi season, Indravati project had programmed to irrigate 18680 ha as against 52334 ha in the previous corresponding season. But due to low rainfall affecting the storage in the reservoir and owing to repair of right canal of the project, water was released in left canal on January 6 advising farmers to take up short duration paddy. Water release was stopped on Tuesday as per schedule.

The water level near the intake well of the project is currently at 629 meters against the dead water level of 625 meters. Similarly the  live stock level of the reservoir is 20.38 percent which is so far the lowest.

Even after being aware of the limitation of the project to irrigate 18680 ha, farmers in both the left and right canals took up paddy cultivation over 1500 ha more than the targeted area. Now about 60 per cent of the targeted land is requiring irrigation for a few more days as crops are in different stages. 

Chief District Agriculture Officer Pradip Kumar Sahoo said that in some places paddy crop is in flowering to dough stage and requires irrigation for about a week. We are observing the scenario, he added.

However, the Chief Construction Engineer Anil Panigrahi stated, due to shortfall in monsoon rain resulting in low water level in the reservoir, we are judiciously managing water keeping ensuing kharif season and power generation in view.

On farmers' appeal for a few more days of irrigation, he said that the field situation and water level will be assessed before making any decision.