JEYPORE: Resentment is brewing among farmers of Jeypore over the decision of Upper Kolab project authorities to stop irrigation to ayecut areas at a time when  rabi paddy crop is in flowering stage.
 The Upper Kolab irrigation project authorities had released irrigation water to Borrigumma, Kundra, Jeypore and Kotpad command areas, spread  over 27,000 hectares, on January 1 and it was decided to stop the supply in the third week of May.

Accordingly, farmers grew Lalat, 1010, Khandagiri varieties of paddy, which are now in flowering stage. Due to damage in canal system, irrigation water from the Upper Kolab reservoir reached tail points of the ayecut areas in February-end delaying sowing of seeds by one month. As a result, paddy crops in 10,000 hectares of land are yet to reach harvesting stage and need more water to grow.

Without realising the situation at the grassroots, the Upper Kolab irrigation project authorities stopped water supply in Dhanpur distributary system and eight other distributaries under ayecut areas on Monday. As per the guidelines, they should have stopped water supply only after meeting leaders of pani panchayats and ayecut officials.

Farmers of Dhanpur, Tatibeda, Akamba, Badakudi and  Targahi areas said stopping the irrigation would damage the standing crops. They demanded that it should continue till May-end. Irrigation officials said they stopped water supply anticipating monsoon. Sources said the reservoir of Upper Kolab has enough water for irrigation but the officials concerned stopped supply to undertake pending repair works in some canal systems.

Source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2017/may/24/irrigation-stopped-farmers-fear-rabi-paddy-damage-1608451.html