Naveen dedicates 1100 check dams through video conferencing

BHUBANESWAR: As part of its inauguration spree ahead of the ensuing panchayat polls, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday dedicated 1100 check dams through video conferencing at a state level function here.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Naveen said his government has targeted to construct 4,000 check dams every year to ensure irrigation to all parts of the state.

“Since 2010, the state water resources department has constructed 8,700 while other departments like agriculture, st/sc development and panchayati raj also constructed more 12,500 check dams that create irrigation potential for around 67,000 hectares of cultivable land,” Naveen said.

As districts like Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Balangir, Deogarh and Sundargarh lag behind other districts in terms of irrigation facilities, Naveen, who heads the water resources department said that the state government is emphasizing to create irrigation facilities in the districts by taking up different programmes like construction of check dams, digging deep bore wells and mega lift irrigation programmes.

Despite the tall claim of the state government regarding implementation of irrigation projects, a number of major and minor irrigation projects are languishing in the state due to poor supervision and several other reasons.

Some of key irrigation projects which hang fire include the Subarnarekha irrigation project (started in 1996), Lower Indra irrigation project (started in 1999) and Lower Suktel irrigation project (proposed in 1999).

Fate of several other irrigation projects like Ret, Telengiri, Rukura, Kanpur and Anandapur barrage seems to be uncertain. Due to delay, the cost of these projects has also escalated, officials admitted.

Of the total 61 lakh hectares of cultivable land in Odisha, the state government has so far ensured irrigation for only 3 lakh hectares of land. “We have set a target to achieve irrigation for 10 lakh hectares of land by 2019,” said water resources secretary

P K Jena

.

The air-conditioned launching programmes, however, has not gone down well with the opposition parties who accused the state government of not having the guts to face the public. “Naveen Patnaik has no guts to face the public for which it is holding programmes inside the state secretariat. The

BJD government

even after ruling the state for 16 years is not able to ensure irrigation to 10 per cent of cultivable land,” said congress leader Pradeep Majhi.