Rayagada: Till recently the farmers of Gumma Panchayat in Odisha’s Rayagada district were a worried lot as they had no irrigation facility in the region. Primarily an arid region, villagers here depend heavily on monsoon and repented when the rains did not arrive timely or were scant. Despite repeated pleas to the concerned departments, district Collector, local politicians and authorities, there was no improvement in their condition.
Soon a miracle happened. The determination and willpower of Ananta Kulesika, an enthusiastic tribal farmer from Kusumguda village in the panchayat, made the villagers’ dream of irrigating their fields come true. Though illiterate, Ananta worked hard to fetch water to their fields by cutting a 2-km-long canal through a hill in three days! Now, he grows multiple crops, including vegetables, potatoes and onions, on his 10-acre field.
Agriculture is the main livelihood of the residents of Kusumguda village. Misfortune struck them every year owing to unpredictable monsoon rains and the absence of irrigation facilities. Frustrated over the apathy of the authorities towards their demand for irrigation facilities, Ananta rented a water pump and installed it in a nearby canal. However, the pump failed to function as his field was located on a higher plane than the canal.
The pump soon became dysfunctional and it became impossible to raise money frequently to repair it. Eventually, Ananta broke his savings of Rs 37,000 from the sale of maize, Mandia and maize to purchase a long water pipe. “Water scarcity was killing us all. Finding no other option, I invested all my savings to bring water to my village. Today, I am very happy that our dreams have become a reality,” said Ananta.
Next, he cut a hill to make a two-foot-long gorge to bring water from a reservoir on the other side of the hill through the water pipe. Much to the joy of Ananta, the impossible was made possible. Now, his field could get enough water for cultivating multiple crops throughout the year.
Ananta provided agricultural as well as drinking water to other villagers in Kusumguda. His efforts helped to improve the lives of the villagers who earlier suffered from various diseases after consuming contaminated water from the nearby canal and that collected from the pits in the jungle. Now, they not only have clean water to drink and cultivate multiple crops, including paddy but also lead happier life.
Ananta has certainly changed their lives. He is an inspiration not only for everyone in Kusumguda but the entire region. He is the modern-day Bhagirathi of Kusumguda.
