Subarnarekha project to be ready by 2013

BARIPADA: The on-going Subarnarekha irrigation project will be ready by 2013 and will irrigate 109,676 ha of land in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts. Out of it, 95,000 ha will be in Mayurbhanj and 14,676 ha in Balasore.
The irrigation will be carried out through the Subarnarekha main canal, Betnoti branch canal, distributaries, three command area reservoirs like Haldia, Jambhira and Baura.Besides, there is one reservoir at Ichha over river Kharkai, a tributary of Subarnarekha.
Revenue divisional commissioner (central division) Ashoke Meena dissaid this at a meeting here last week. Meena said the Subarnarekha irrigation project and the Deo Medium Irrigation projects are the two most important "irrigation-booster" projects. When completed the projects will bring about prosperity in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts.
Meena said Rs 4,049 crore has been earmarked for the Subarnarekha project, out of which Rs 1,265.44 crore has already been spent. Also, Rs 29,27,80,664 has been paid to people who lost their land to the project. Payment of compensation has also been hastened.
But work on the Deo medium irrigation project has been delayed for lack of co-ordination between government departments. The RDC said he has asked the district administration to hold a "rapid review programme" at least once a week where problems will be sorted out, co-ordination ensured and the project implementation process quickened.