Nabarangpur: A 2-km irrigation canal crossing rough hilly terrain and jungle has become the latest talk of the town in Odisha as it has been constructed not by any government organisations, but by a group of farmers and their families, without any kind of aid from anyone.
The farmers of Nabarangpur district in Odisha have always relied upon rain for their harvest. There is a perennial stream emerging from Gadgada hill which flows near Ladi and Gurliguda villages of Majhiguda Panchayat under Papadahandi block of the district. The villagers approached the administration for the construction of a canal which would facilitate the water of the stream to the parched lands of the village, and the soil conservation department had initiated a check dam, but it was not properly executed.
The villagers approached the administration but no one gave an ear to their woes. They even tried to get a borewell dug in the village, but the cost of digging it in the hilly terrain was too high for them to bear.
Finding no other way out, a group of 10 farmers decided to take another course of action.Taking the matter in their own hands, they joined hands, collected funds and started working on their ‘dream project’ of digging a canal to join the nearby perennial stream and their fields.
Hard work paid and they were able to construct a 2-km long canal channelising the water of the perennial stream to their fields and get a good harvest the whole year through. A total of Rs 50,000 was spent on this project which was funded by those farmers and their families.
But it is directed to the 25-acre fields owned by them only.
“They have used their own expertise to bring down the stream water into play. They are able to grow vegetables and sell it in the market to get good profit. This is also an example for others. But the remaining lands of the village remain parched. If the administration looks into this matter, then all the farmers will be benefitted,” lamented Ajay, a farmer of the village.
