A huge chunk of 127.85 hectare of forest land has held up the canal construction for the Panki barrage over the last four years.
A deputy secretary (Technical) in Water Resources department in Ranchi has stated this in writing to a starred question of Chhaterpur BJP MlA RK Kishore who wanted to know about the status of the canal of the Panki barrage.
Speaking to the Pioneer Kishore said ‘Recently I have learnt that for 127.85 hectares of forest land coming in the way of the construction of canal for the Panki barragethe Palamu administration has earmarked CA (compensatory afforestation) but I have no knowledge if the forest environment and climate change department Ranchi has issued any NoC for the canal.’
He said the Panki barrage is of 365 crores out of which 256 crores are already spent but there is no canal so far to reach its water in his assembly constituency Paton. Kishore said had there been canal this barrage would have irrigated 23,000 hectares of land in Palamu. He said Paton block is the stake holder and its farmers are languishing for want of water from this barrage.
A resident of Gurha in Panki Mumtaz Khan said there are 12 gates in this barrage which are open 24x7 no matter which season is here. Khan said 90 crores were spent only on the construction of the barrage structure. There are other things associated with this barrage like concrete bridge, quarters, inlet gate for Ouranga water reservoir and all these are a silent testimony to this multi crore waste if canal does not come up for irrigating the land.
Sources said 185 meter of guide wall in the left stream of this barrage too could not be built because of huge public resistance.
Chief Engineer Irrigation Department here in Daltonganj Ml Pingua said there is public resistance with regard to submergence and displacement and rehabilitation over this barrage water.