BERHAMPUR: As Ganjam reels under poor rainfall and the spectre of hopelessness looms large for agricultural community, a 42-year-old farmer was allegedly murdered in what was believed to be escalation of a fight over irrigation water in a village within Dharkote police limits of the district.
The incident took place in Kusarab village where Panchu Gouda was found dead near his farmland on Saturday morning. Sources said Panchu had left home last evening to irrigate his land. However, some other farmers who too wanted to irrigate their land reportedly had a fight with him which resulted in an attack that left the 42-year-old with critical injuries.
As he did not return, his family started a search but in vain. This morning, Panchu’s body was found. His family lodged a complaint with the police and a scientific team reached the spot and began investigation.
As probe into the alleged murder begins, the bloody incident has come as an outcome of a poor monsoon for the district that not only impacted agriculture but has also hit irrigation with most reservoirs holding very little water even as century-old irrigation sources including Rushikulya await renovation.
This year, the kharif farming was delayed due to lack of rain and irrigation sources. However, late rains brought some hope. But inadequate showers at the advanced stage proved a dampener. Even cyclone Dana flattered to deceive as it brought no rain to the southern districts.
“We hoped that water would be available for paddy crop in the growing stage but in vain. Even Dana betrayed,” said Sarat Panda, a dejected farmer of Tanhar village. He hopes another system will bring showers.
Simanchal Nahak, secretary of Rushikulya Rayat Mahasabha says farmers are worried because the farmlands with standing paddy have developed cracks and crops in uplands have turned dry. “If there is no rain soon, the district may face a drought-like situation,” he said.
According to irrigation office sources, the district receives 187.9 mm rain in October against which it received just 45.49 mm this year. As a result, the reservoirs also have water stock much less than their storage capacity.
Data reveals Bhanjanagar reservoir’s water storage is just 23.09 pc of its capacity, followed by Soroda (26.03 pc), Daha (13.88 pc), Baghua (11.16 pc) Ghodahada (10.12 pc), Ghatakeswar (8.86 pc), Baghalati (7.08 pc), Badanala (26.78 pc) and Harabhangi (11.32 pc) storage. Dhanei reservoir is the only exception with 87.46 pc storage.
Despite scarcity, in emergency cases, water is being released through canals of barrages and diversion weirs to save the standing crop but much below than their capacity. While Gallery barrage is designed to discharge 18.40 cumecs, the actual discharge has been only 1.96 cumecs.
Similarly, the Madhabarida has released 8.10 cumecs against its design of 23.45 cumecs, whereas Janibili release to Rushikulya main canal through Janibili head and Ghodahada was 7.97 cumsecs and 5.23 cumsecs against their design of 46.44 cumecs and 37.75 cumecs respectively. It was the same for most other barrages and diversion weirs.