Malkangiri: The water level of the Satiguda Dam, located near Malkangiri town, has been steadily declining, nearing its dead storage level. Although the Rabi crops did not face major issues this year, if the monsoon rainfall is below expectations, it could severely affect Kharif cultivation, putting the livelihoods of lakhs of farmers in the district at risk. Additionally, over a thousand fishermen who depend on the dam are also concerned.
The total water storage capacity of the dam is 192.63 meters, but currently, the water level has dropped to around 186 meters — just 4 meters above the dead storage level of 182 meters. This limited reserve can only serve as drinking water for the coming days. Malkangiri town consumes 70 lakh litres of drinking water daily, which is now being managed from the remaining water. Only the central portion of the dam retains water, while the surrounding areas are dry.
Due to insufficient rainfall in the catchment area, water inflow into the reservoir has reduced. However, a Junior Engineer from the Irrigation Department claimed that there is still adequate water available for drinking needs, and there are no current plans to release water for irrigation.
Originally built in 1986 and transferred to the Irrigation Department in 1989, the Satiguda reservoir was planned to irrigate 14,000 hectares of farmland across 36 panchayats in Malkangiri Sadar and Korukonda blocks — 9,065 hectares for Kharif crops and 4,535 hectares for Rabi crops. But now, over three decades later, a large portion of the dam has silted up, and its storage capacity has significantly decreased.
The reservoir is also an important hub for fishing, with over 1,000 fishermen catching and selling fish near the dam daily. But as the water dries up, fish are no longer