Indravati water stopped; farmers grow restive

Bhawanipatna: Uncertainty prevailed in the Indravati command area after the Indravati project on Wednesday stopped the Rabi irrigation as per schedule. Many farmers appealed for water for a few more days, as paddy crop is yet to mature.

However, the project authority is in a tight spot as water level of the reservoir is near dead storage levels. Inadequate rain during the last monsoon caused water scarcity.

During the current Rabi season the project authority planned to irrigate only 18,680 hectares, as against the command area of 55,000 hectares. The irrigation area was reduced to take up repair work of the right canal and to judiciously use the available water of the reservoir. The Agriculture department sources said that in most cases paddy crop is in flowering to dough stage and requires irrigation for a few more days.

The water level near the intake well of the project is 629 meters, as against the dead level of 625 meters. About three meters is filled by siltation. The water level is very much nearing dead level. The current reservoir level is 20.38 per cent, one of the lowest.

Chief construction engineer Anil Panigrahi said due to a shortfall of rain and shortage of water in the reservoir the project is judiciously managing water use keeping in view the Kharif season and power generation.