Kalampur: A breach on the right side siphon of Indravati South main canal forced the panicked villagers of Pandigaon in Kalahandi district to stay awake the whole night Wednesday as water flooded their village.
According to a villager, they woke up to the splashing sound of water late in the night and discovered the village inundated as they came out of their houses.
Upon enquiry, they discovered the breach in the Indravati South canal.
The water has also submerged farmlands in the village.
“Since the water flowed through my farmland, my paddy crops, already in the flowering stage got affected,” alleged Bhawani Shankar Behera, a farmer.
On being informed, the concerned department closed the Mangalpur barrage and Bandhakana gate. At the same time, a team of engineers rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. They have gagged the opening to stop the flow of water as a temporary arrangement.
It may be mentioned here that the embankment of Indravati South canal has gone weak since quite some time now. Tenders to carry out repair work were floated four times in the past, but nothing has been done so far in this regard.
Affected villagers alleged that such incidents had also occurred in the past too. The government, however, is yet to find out a permanent solution to this recurring problem.
PNN