Champua: The Parsala dam in this block of Keonjhar district, which used to help farmers irrigate their lands, is now going to lose its existence.
Farmers have accused the government of doing nothing for the dam’s renovation to make it usable for irrigation.
Over the years, the dam has been receiving water flowing down from uphill areas. As a result, it has been bunged up with deposits of silt, stones and soil.
“We fail to get water from the dam. Our crops now solely depend on the rain god,” some farmers said.
Surprisingly, the panchayat has been auctioning the dam for fish farming every year, but it has never thought about its renovation, they added. The dam has not been renovated for the last 30 years.
The vastly sprawling dam was dug up in Parsala panchayat years ago. Acres of land around it used to get water, helping farmers to grow crops. People of Mankadiasahi, Parsala, Sijukala, Gumura and Sarupatala depend on the dam for their water needs.
Recently, some people illegally cut the dam to drain out water for fishing. The panchayat has never done anything for its renovation, but has been using it for fishing, locals alleged.
In the monsoon, the dam will help conserve water if it is renovated properly, locals said.
“The administration was requested for its renovation. Officials concerned told us that the dam’s renovation will be carried out under the Ama Gaon, Ama Bikash Yojana,” the local sarpanch said.