N’pada farmers run from pillar to post

The Soil Conservation Department in Nuapada district had constructed a Water Harvesting Structure (WHS) in Sargimunda village of Boden block in 1989.

The structure irrigated about 200 acres of crop land and benefited hundreds of small and marginal farmers. But, a three-day continuous rain in 2017 that resulted in a flash flood washed away the sluice and the adjacent bund.

The farmers now are running from the lowest rung of the administration to the highest level with desperation to have that repaired.

“It was a beautiful structure and was an assured source for irrigation for our farmers. Several small revulets that drain runoffs from the Pati dongar and Chahalia dongar in the south of our village transform into  Durkadhap stream near Kirejhola village. A WHS was constructed across that stream and the water was diverted through the sluice to a collection tank called Bhalumunda, which was the feeding point of irrigation,” narrated the villagers.

The farmers have met the Collector twice in the grievance meeting at Boden and Komna and requested for allotment of fund for the repair.

“The Collector had issued directions to the concerned officials to conduct an inquiry and submit a report, but we don't know what happened after that,” said Radheshyam Behera, a farmer.

“Crores of rupees are being allotted every year under different schemes like GGY, MGNREG etc, where the priority areas of expenditure are said to be creation of water bodies, connectivity and electricity. But a close analysis of the expenditure pattern of all these schemes shows that, a major portion of all allotment are spent in connectivity sector. Irrigation sector is the most neglected one,” said former Khariar MLA Hitesh Bagartti.

 “Bagartti had allotted a small amount of fund for the renovation of Bhalumunda tank and stone packing along the canal, when he was the Chairperson of Boden block and that was the last work done for the development of this project,” said Radheshyam.

It is learnt that above 90 per cent of the total allotment under GGY for Boden block this year has been for road improvement.

“The contractors and corrupt politicians make a lot of money from such project; that’s why they insist on maximum allotment for connectivity,” said the villagers.

It does not matter to them that repairing of the Durkadhap WHS would assure us of food and education to our children, they added.

Officials of the Watershed department informed that they have submitted a proposal worth Rs 8 lakh to the DRDA, Nuapada, for the WHS renovation, which is yet to be approved.

But the villagers said if it is not done before the advent of rain, the rain water will flow through the broken bund and damage the crop.