Indravati deficit puts Odisha's Kalahandi farmers in dry spot
BHAWANIPATNA: The shortage of rainfall in the ayacut areas under the Indravati canal system has created a worrying scenario for farmers of the district for the current kharif and upcoming rabi season. This year, the Indravati reservoir has recorded a rainfall of 843 mm till August 31 as against 1,628 mm rainfall on the same date last year. The reservoir is filled up to a capacity of 30.12 per cent this year against 87.58 pc in the corresponding period last year.
The reservoir has a capacity to store 1,48,550 hectare metre water. However, water level at present is just 44,751 hectare metre as against last year’s record of 1,30,113 hectare metre.
Chief construction engineer of Indravati project Anil Kumar Panigrahi said the deficit rainfall in catchment areas has put them in a spot. “To meet the irrigation target for the kharif season, we have decided to supply water in rotation mode. However, we need the support of the farmers for the management of water,” he added.
For the current kharif season, water is released on 1,15,615 hectare land benefitting around 99,177 farmers of 429 villages under Jaipatna, Dharamgarh, Junagarh, Kalampur, Koksara, Golamunda and Bhawanipatna blocks.
While 39,830 ha of land will be irrigated through the left main canal, around 19,478 ha of land will be irrigated through the left extension canal. Similarly, 25,846 ha of land will be irrigated through the right main canal, 5,186 ha via the right extension canal and 25,275 ha through the lift canal.