Dug wells to meet farmers’ water need in Sambalpur

SAMBALPUR: In order to provide alternative irrigation facility to farmers, the district administration has set up 1,047 dug wells in 2018-19 under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

After including various activities under the employment generation programme, the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) had decided to excavate dug wells under the scheme for horticulture and other small scale farming activities last year. At least 120 wells were dug up across the district under MGNREGS under experimental basis in 2018-19. Later, the DRDA set a target of digging 1000 wells at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 1.5 lakh per unit.

By the end of March, the development agency has set up 1,047 wells in Jamankira, Jujomura, Maneswar, Redakhol, Kuchinda, Dhankauda, Naktideul, Bamra and Rengali blocks. The maximum number of 191 wells have been dug up in Bamra.

Sources at DRDA said the dug wells are being set up with a specific size of 15 feet in diameter and a depth of 30 feet. Around one hectare of land can be irrigated through a dug well. Earlier, the existing dug wells have failed to irrigate farmlands due to its narrow size. But now, the new dug wells will facilitate immediate irrigation, they added.

As farmers in most of the places depend on rain-fed agriculture, it will also help to promote rainwater harvesting during monsoon. However, its implication may not sustain over a long period as it can be used only for irrigation of a limited extent of land, they said.