Keonjhar: Fed up with protracted administration apathy, farmers of Kenduposhi and Narasinghpur villages under Sadar block in Keonjhar district have finally dug up a two-kilometre-long earth canal to irrigate their farmlands. The remarkable feat has not only resolved their longstanding irrigation problem to some extent but also made them an example for others to emulate. According to reports, the villagers raised money from their own pockets and contributed free labour to dig the two-kilometre-long irrigation facility. They said they decided to take upon themselves the task after their repeated pleas for the canal fell on deaf ears of the officials concerned.
Sources said that there is no concrete canal for irrigation in those villages under Nuagaon panchayat. Due to a lack of repairs, the earthen canal remained buried for a long time. As a result, many farmlands in the area were lying uncultivated owing to a lack of irrigation facilities. This year, though the farmers had started cultivation works on time, they were unsure of a good harvest due to scanty rainfall in the area. They were waiting for the rainfall to happen to proceed with their cultivation works as there was no alternative source to irrigate their farmlands.
In the absence of sufficient water, they could not start ploughing the fields, or plant the paddy saplings. This made a group of farmers, including Suresh Munda, Dilip Munda, Chandan Munda, Gurucharan Munda, Naresh Munda, Akash Munda, Nara Munda, Lokesh Munda, Bikram Munda, Debanand Patra, Lambodar Patra, Bharat Patra, Sanatan Patra, Buddhadev Patra, and Bhulu Patra of Kenduposhi village, and fellow villagers, to team up and excavate the two-kilometre long water channel – from the concrete canal at Hatikutcha- which was lying buried and unused. The farmers alleged that the Hatikucha concrete canal is not stretched till Narsinghpur village through Kenduposhi village.
Hence, the water coming from Betajhari River failed to reach their fields. This rendered it impossible for many farmers to water their farmlands. As a result, the uncultivated barren farmlands were mostly used for grazing cattle. Meanwhile, the farmers alleged that despite several complaints, the district administration is not taking steps to construct a concrete canal. This has sparked resentment among the hapless farmers. They have demanded that the district administration should initiate measures to construct a concrete canal from the Hatikutcha main canal up to Narsinghpur village, through Kenduposhi village, which would benefit hundreds of tribal farmers.