Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, Apr 26: After the irrigation canal of Varahi project breached at Basabail Matha at the 21st km of the canal, crops grown in around 50 acres of land had been damaged during the last rainy season. There had been hue and cry over the lethargy of Varahi project officials to repair this breach although another rainy season is approaching and posing threat to the farmers again.
At last, the officials have woken up to the issue, three weeks after a report was published in daijiworld on March 30. The department has instructed the contractors, who had stopped work on the breach, to resume work. As such, the work of lifting the mud accumulated due to landslide at the 21st km on Varahi canal has begun since the last few days. After the repair work is completed, revetment work will begin.
The fact that work has resumed on closing the breach in the wake of fear of another landslide looming large over the region, has brought relief to the residents of the area. The villagers however, are angry about the unscientific manner in which the officials of the department are executing the repair work.
The farmers from the area note that the officials should have begun work on the breach during January-February instead of continuing to release water through the canal then, so that water could be released during March and April, which happen to be peak summer months when fields need water the most. The work has been taken up at a time when the farmers are badly in need of water. The fact that the official and people's representatives are not taking into account farmers' interests when undertaking works has disillusioned the people here.
The next monsoon season is just two months away, but none of the departments have made preparations for the rainy season. The failure of Varahi project office, which has neglected repair of Varahi canal, is sure to have its impact on the farmers, people say.
During last monsoon, because of the department's failure to build revetment to the canal for 125 metres at 23rd km of the canal, huge mounds of lime soil had suffered landslide and got deposited on agricultural land, damaging over 80 acres of areca and paddy crops. Wells and ponds located within the plantations had been buried under the landslide. The revenue department has done nothing other than disbursing compensation at the rate of Rs 2,000 per acres towards paddy crop loss. The areca farmers who relied on the assurance of Varahi project officials, are disillusioned. After the chief minister inaugurated the project, no officials have visited the spot. In addition to 1.5 acres of private land for the project, 87 cents of cashew plantation owned by Chandravati was additionally used for the project, but compensation has not been disbursed to the concerned so far.
The department at last has permitted for resumption of repair work. The farmers can heave a sigh of relief only if the department takes care to finish all the works before the monsoon season begins.