Nabarangpur: Construction work is progressing on two embankments for a large lift irrigation project on the Indravati River in Nabarangpur district. The embankments are being built near Vitarabadi village on the border of Nabarangpur and Koraput districts, specifically near the Borigumma block. Water from these two embankments will benefit local farmers.
One embankment near Vitarabadi is being constructed with an expenditure of 20 crore rupees, and another near Nandahandi at Gekiguda is underway with a budget of 23 crore rupees. The total cost for both embankments is 43 crore rupees, according to the department.
Junior Engineer of the Irrigation Department, Chudamani Kalo, stated that the Vitarabadi embankment will help hold back river water up to 3 meters. A 350-foot-long embankment is being constructed there, with a basement of 110 meters and a height of 45 meters.
Similarly, near Tokiguda on the Indravati River, an embankment is being built at a cost of about 23 crore rupees. It will be approximately 450 feet long, with a basement of 110 meters and a height of 36 meters. The engineer said both projects are expected to be completed by the middle of next year.
Due to the drying up of water flow in the Indravati River, four mega lift irrigation projects are facing difficulty in providing the necessary water to farmers. To address this, construction of two embankments on the river is underway. These embankments will maintain the water level in the river up to 3 meters. Water will be pumped from these reservoirs to irrigate farmers’ fields, explained Mr. Kalo.
It is notable that Nabarangpur district, which is mostly rain-fed, usually receives sufficient rainfall during the Kharif season. In 2015, four mega lift irrigation projects were constructed in the Nandahandi block areas of Paralimniguda, Ekamba, Daivatta, and Nuaguda to provide irrigation water to farmers’ lands. These projects were aimed at irrigating a total of 4,223 hectares—1,376 hectares in Paralimniguda, 1,270 in Ekamba, 999 in Daivatta, and 678 in Nuaguda.
However, due to the drying up of the Indravati River’s flow, these projects have not been able to supply adequate irrigation water. Keeping this in mind, construction of two embankments on the Indravati River is underway. The river’s water level will be raised by 3 meters, and efforts are ongoing to supply water to farmers’ lands from there.
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