Fed up with the alleged apathy of the government, villagers of Ladi and Gurliguda villages under Papadahandi block in Nabarangpur district have constructed a canal through the hill to get a stream’s water for raising crops, setting an example for others.
There is a perennial stream emerging from Gadgada hill near Ladi and Gurliguda villages. Though most of the residents are farmers, they depend mostly on rain to raise crops.
The soil conservation department had once assured the villagers of a check dam. The work on it too started. But later it came to its grief.
The villagers took the matter up with the administration and the people's representatives but to no avail.
Then the villagers decided to do it on their own. Fund was raised and then the villagers started working on what they are calling their dream project. They have dug up a two-kilometre-long canal through the hill and brought the stream’s water through a pipe to their farmlands.
Now they are no longer depending on rain to raise vegetables and other crops.
“We had taken up the matter with the Collector, Ministers and MLAs but to no avail. So we decided to contribute something and dig up a canal. Now we are getting water through a pipe for irrigation,” said Sidhiprakash Gorada, a farmer.
Echoing the same, another farmer Ishwar Chandra Takri said, “The present canal is not giving benefits to all the farmers.
If it is constructed perfectly, around 50 acres of land can be irrigated. But for this money is required. If the government can provide the money, we can be benefitted.”
(Reported by Nabaghana Bisoi from Nabarangpur, OTV)