Bant: Farmers have strongly opposed the illegal soil lifting from the embankment of Korei sub-canal in Basantia panchayat in Bhadrak district.
It was alleged that soil is being lifted from sides of the canal and used for its reconstruction.
It may be noted here that Korei sub-canal is part of the Hatadihi main canal passing along the Basantia-Silndi road. Renovation of the 2km long canal is being carried out at a cost of Rs 12 lakh.
Locals said that as per guidelines, the contractor is supposed to bring soil from other areas, but he is digging soil from nearby farmland and the canal embankment.
“This is completely illegal and we oppose this,” said famers Pradip Panda, Rajat Mekap and Bhagban Panda. They demanded that the pits created along the canal due to soil lifting should be filled.
Junior engineer of Bant irrigation division, Manoj Kumar Sethi said soil has not been lifted from sides of the canal. If bed cutting of the canal is not carried out, water will not drain out, he explained.
PNN