Having failed to get Government support in cleaning wild weeds from a channel for discharging rain water from their agriculture fields to the Govari river, the farmers of seven gram panchayats cleaned the channel themselves where hyacinth had grown.
According to the affected farmers, thousands of acres of agriculture land in 29 villages are now inundated with rain water in last 10 days of rain. The Chakroda-Guhalsingh Patanali (channel) that earlier served to release rain water to the Govari river failed to do so as hyacinth grew in it. The farmers stated that the affected panahayats that were badly affected due to knee-deep rain were Bharatpur, Shyamsundarpur, Jamadhar, Bhagabatpur, Chakroda and Ratadia.
Since 1930, the four-km -long Chakroda-Gualasingh Patanali has been the major rain water drainage channel available for these panchayats. But since last few years, the rain water failed to get discharged from the agriculture field due to illegal encroachment and constructions over the Patanali . In Guhalasingh area, most of the houses, located on the left side of the Cuttack-Chandabali road, have encroached open space. As a result, the rain water failed to get discharged.
With water accumulating in the paddy fields for days together, the paddy saplings are getting damaged, alleged farmer Haladhar Mallik of Mardarpur village.
Though the villagers earlier had brought the matter to the notice of the Derbaish tehsildar, the district Collector and the officials of drainage department and urged them to take steps to clean the hyacinth on Chakroda-Guhalasingh Patanali, nothing was done. Consequently, the villagers decided to clean the Patanali of the hyacinth. About 30 farmers were engaged in the cleaning drive,” stated Balaram Das.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the farmers demanded before the district Collector to evict the permanent structures that have been blocking the discharge of rain water in the area. They also threatened to hold agitation in the coming days.
When contacted, district Collector Debaraj Senapati stated that he had directed the tehsildar and the officials to visit the spot and take necessary action.