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Delay in release of water hits farmers

It is a double whammy for farmers of Indravati irrigated pockets of Kalahandi. If delay in release of water into the canals was not enough, the administration is yet to arrange for proper marketing facilities for procurement of Dalua (summer) paddy.

The monsoon is knocking at the door but farmers are yet to harvest their crops. Besides, no marketing facilities have been provided for the already harvested paddy raising apprehension among the farmers about largescale damage from rains.

In the last rabi season, the Indravati project authorities released water to the canals in February thereby delaying the cultivation and harvesting works. For procurement of the harvested paddy, the district administration had set up 44 mandies and four state agencies like Orissa Civil Supply Corporation, NAFED, MARKFED and TDCC were entrusted for the exercise. However, there have been allegations galore that most of the mandies are not operating smoothly. Farmers alleged that they have to wait for several days till their paddy is sold and to benefit from the situation, millers are lifting paddy by deducting 10 to 15 kg per quintal. Worse, the millers are paying them just Rs 580 to Rs 600 a kg for 75 kg of paddy against the minimum support price (MSP) of

Rs 750. Apart from this, there is no timely water release by the Indravati project authorities and farmers' representatives or agriculture department officials are not being consulted before release or stoppage of water. "This gives rise to confusion in formulation of cropping pattern," alleged farmer leaders Prasanta Patjoshi, Jugal Bag and AV Rao. They further alleged that annual repair of the canal system is not done properly. "For instance, repair work for the current year started only a week back and with the arrival of monsoon, the works will not be proper which would give the authorities another plea for late release of water for ensuing kharif season," they said. To systematise irrigation in Indravati irrigated pockets, Kalahandi Collector Roopa Mishra convened a meeting yesterday where it was decided that water release into canals will be scheduled in advance after consultation with agriculture officials and farmer representatives so that it does not hamper cropping pattern. It was also decided that for the ensuing kharif season,

Indravati project will release water in 0 to 25 km of Left canal and 0 to 45 km of Right canal from July 1 and 25 km to tailend i.e 95 km of Left canal and from 45 km to tailend at 85 km of Right canal from July 7. Similarly for the rabi season, water would be released by December 15 so that harvesting can be completed by April. Among others, Deputy Director of Agriculture Prabasi Sethi and representatives of Indravati project and Orissa Hydro Power Corporation participated.