Jajpur: Considering Jajpur district’s continuous contribution of crores as revenue to the state exchequer, and the fact that rivers like Brahmani, Baitarani, Kharasrota, Birupa and Budha flow through the district, the farmers here should have had better irrigation facilities. But here on ground, the situation is quite the opposite.
The government is laying emphasis on irrigation, setting a target to irrigate hundred percent of the agricultural land in state. For this, the number of pani panchayats and their capacity are said to be increased through Command Area Development programme, for equal distribution of water, maintenance of canals and increasing the capacity of the projects.
Similarly, a huge amount of money is being spent every year to construct field irrigation canals, to repair and resurrect community ponds.
But looking at the evident currrent scenario, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how Jajpur district is neglected with respect to providing irrigation facilities to the farmers.
The Minor Irrigation department in the district has had proposals to construct 74 minor irrigation projects (MIPS) for a long period now. Of these projects, Barchana block has maximum 19 projects, followed by Sukinda (17), Danagadi (10), Korei (eight), Dharmashala (six), Jajpur (five), Binjharpur and Dasarathpur (four each) and Rasulpur (one). But no progress has been achieved in this regard.
It is expected that once these projects are completed and functional, more than 5,000 hectare of agricultural land would be irrigated. With these projects still confined to proposals only, the apprehensions of drought leave the farmers in a state of panic. As of now, according to the government sources, a total of 4,479 hectare of land is being irrigated through only 58 MIPs.
Neglecting the farmers, gallons of water are being supplied daily to the 12 industries in Kalinganagar Industrial area by IDCO. For this, an intake well has been set up on the riverbank at Pankapala. Similarly, 90 percent of the water in the Baitarani River flows into the sea.
What surprises the locals is that not a single irrigation project has been constructed in the upper catchment area of these two main rivers which flow right through the district. Not for nothing are the people of the district terming that the two rivers are not for farmers but for industries.
The government is claiming that out of total 1,45,450 hectare of agricultural land in the district, through major and minor irrigation projects, 61,322 hectare (42.16%) and 34,600 hectare (23.78%) is irrigated in kharif and rabi seasons respectively.
But the ground report tells a different tale. From the Baitarani-Budha anicut, 10,000 acre of land in Sadar, Dasarathpur and Binjharpur blocks and 8,384 hectare of land in Barchana and Dharmashala blocks gets water in kharif season. At the same time, this 164.005 kilometre-long canal fails to irrigate 680.89 hectares of land.
While the political leaders and workers are keeping mum about the construction of minor irrigation, high level canal or lift irrigation projects, they are busy awarding lease of stone quarries so that they can earn big money. Because of this, the image of the government, which has been working for farmers’ betterment, is getting spoiled among the farmers and common people.
This year, the farmers suffered a jolt at the commencement of agricultural activities. Receiving 17 per cent, 60 per cent and 52 per cent less rainfall in June, July and August respectively left them worried. Ironically enough, the district got excess rainfall September 13 and 14 and it received 434.56 mm rainfall by September 19, creating a flood like situation.
The farmers of the district, who always depend solely on rain, have been suffering sometimes due to deficit rainfall, and sometimes due to excessive rain.
PNN