Anandapur: Paddy crops over acres of land were damaged as water inundated Shalabani pancyayat under Ananadapur block in Keonjhar district after breaching Ghagara canal embankment Saturday. A fishing farm was also affected by the water.
The areas like Baladuan, Pandua and Bamdar were flooded with canal water. Some young farmers, who have taken up farming in the area have suffered crop losses worth lakhs of rupees.
Construction work of Baitarani barrage division was under way when Ghagara canal received huge influx of rainwater Saturday. The canal was breached at six places.
Local farmers alleged that the irrigation authorities had not closed the entry point of Ghagara canal to check rain water.
The same canal had been breached in August 2018. It had caused extensive damage to crops, but the affected farmers have allegedly not paid their compensation.
Rainwater again caused huge loss to the farmers, lamented farmer Chakradhar Sahu.
PNN