Water scarcity leaves the farmers wailing in Ganjam

Berhampur: Following the erratic and scanty rainfall in the month of July and August, the same situation came into exist in Ganjam again. Forgetting the previous crop damage by the erratic monsoon rain, farmers were happy with the rain due to low pressure in Bay of Bengal for few days. But now the acute problem of water again creates a wailing situation for the farmers of Ganjam.

Paddy-fields have not received water since third week of September. The parched lands are still waiting for adequate water for sustaining, as it is the flowering time and growth of the rice-crop. As rains have been the lifetime for the farmers in Ganjam district, erratic and less rainfall this year has left them sulking.

Agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy had visited Ganjam on August 28 this year after the drought like situation approached in the district. Most of the blocks had affected by drought. Minister himself astonished after visiting the paddy fields in Rangeilunda, Chatrapur, Ganjam, Khallikote and Konisi block, the worst hit by drought in August this year. Due to this problem 20-30 % farmland remained uncultivated during the current year.

Most of the farmer bodies demanded that the canals are not properly maintained and managed by concerned departments, even there are no sufficient canals for irrigation purpose. Junior Engineers of Irrigation departments are not coming regularly. Around half of the Lift Irrigation (LI) points are not functioning out of 1511 LI points in the district, said the farmers of Humma Panchayat while the office gherao of JE of Irrigation near Humma. They also demanded that functioning of LI point is the need of hour and release the water from Ghodahada dam for the lower area paddy-fields.

On the other hand, the water in Hiradharabati and Jayamangala canal is not coming to the lower area of the canal. Lack of proper co-ordination between Irrigation, Revenue, Agriculture and Electricity department might be the reason behind the failure of ‘Pani Panchayat’ in some places, as the electricity department cut the connection for further water supply due to huge due from the year of 1985. Again the black marketing of fertilizer adds salt in the wound of the farmer, says Rushikulya Rayat Mahasangha Secretary Simanchala Nahak. He along with a team of farmer leaders have met the collector and demanded to ‘save the crop’ and ‘help the farmer’.

This year, 2, 10,045 hectare farm land is used for rice-crop. 50% crop was damaged in 3628 Revenue villages of 475 Panchayat according to the report by District Administration to the government on September 30 this year. Only few days of releasing of previous drought report, the fresh incident of drought like situation again approached in the district.

Last month Ganjam district had received 150 mm against 216 mm which was 31% less rainfall in the district. The situation of eight blocks is very critical. These blocks are Rangeilunda, which received 67% less rainfall during last month, Polsara 69%, Sheragada 57%, Purusottampur 53%, Hinjili 51%, Digapahandi 49%, Ganjam and Kukudakhandi block respectively.

According to the estimation, 12,700 hectares of paddy-field is severely affected by the acute problem of water. Within a week, if the parched lands will not get water, the crop of this year will be damaged.