BHUBANESWAR: The Water Resources department is unlikely to meet the revised deadline for completion of the left bank and right bank canals of the Rengali multi-purpose irrigation projects.Even as the state government has set a target to complete the left bank canal (LBC) by 2025-26, the plan to take up construction of 17.5 km long canal in the third phase is still in the proposal stage. The government is yet to locate a financier to fund the project.
The phase one project approved by the erstwhile Planning Commission (now Niti Aayog) in 1978 at an estimated cost of Rs 233.64 crore had a design irrigation potential for 1,86,380 hectare cultivable command area (CCA) with an ultimate irrigation potential for 3,37,520 hectare.
The project started in the early 1980s, and the cost of it has overshot to Rs 6,732.57 due to considerable delay. Of the revised cost of Rs 3,063.67 crore left bank canal, the department has utilised Rs 1,050 crore up to January 2023. With a design potential for 39,416 hectare, the department has created irrigation potential for 17,158 hectare, said the report of the departmentally related standing committee after scrutiny of demand for grants of the department.
Of the 141 km long left bank canal, construction have been completed up to 100.49 km. Construction of another 23 km is underway under phase-2 with financial assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
“The Rengali irrigation project phase-3 from 123.5 km to 141 km is under proposal state which will be implemented after finalisation of sources of funding,” the department told the Assembly panel.
The right bank canal has been completed up to 95 km and the excavation of the Darpani branch canal and Athagarh branch canal is under progress. On completion, the project will create irrigation potential for 84,406 hectare.
The latest revised cost of the right bank canal is Rs 3,668.9 crore out of which Rs 3,020 crore has been utilised creating irrigation potential for over 17,606 hectare. With a budgetary support of Rs 300 crore, the government has targeted to complete the right canal in 2023-24.
Attributing the delay in completion of the canal projects to land acquisition problem and forest clearance, the department said 7,009 acre out of the required 7,536 acre have been acquired. The remaining 527 area is under the process of acquisition.