Farmers Express Discontent Over Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Project: Pipeline Work Incomplete, Water Yet to Reach Farmlands; Farmers Allege Irregularities

Sinapali, Nuapada: Farmers in the Gadramal area of Sinapali block have expressed strong dissatisfaction over the ongoing construction of the Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Project, alleging delays in pipeline installation and uncertainty over the actual delivery of irrigation water to agricultural fields. The project, being constructed at Gadramal village under Sinapali block of Nuapada district, was taken up with the objective of providing irrigation facilities to farmland and improving agricultural productivity. However, local farmers claim that the project has yet to fulfil its intended purpose in several areas. According to the farmers, pipeline installation work remains incomplete, with nearly 60 per cent of the pipeline work reportedly still pending in the area. They have expressed concern that unless the remaining work is completed at the earliest, the promised irrigation benefits may not reach the farming community. Farmers have also raised questions over the size of the pipelines being used under the project. They allege that in some locations, pipelines of around one inch or even smaller diameter have been installed. This has raised concerns among farmers about whether such pipelines would be capable of supplying adequate water to a large agricultural area. Local farmer Adhi Nial expressed his dissatisfaction, stating that a lift irrigation project had already been functioning on the Udanti River in the Gadramal area, through which water reaches some agricultural lands. However, despite the construction of the new mega lift irrigation project, farmers are yet to see irrigation facilities on the scale they had expected. The presence of multiple lift irrigation projects along the Udanti River in the Sinapali block has also raised questions among local residents regarding their effectiveness and utilisation. Farmers are particularly concerned about the proposed system of drawing water from the river through an intake well and supplying it to agricultural fields. Farmers further claimed that three 125-HP motors have reportedly been installed under the project for lifting water from the river. They have sought clarity from the concerned authorities on whether the installed pumping capacity and other infrastructure would be sufficient to lift and distribute the required quantity of water to the targeted agricultural land. The farmers stressed that the primary objective of a major irrigation project funded with public money is to ensure reliable irrigation facilities for cultivators. If agricultural land continues to remain without adequate water even after completion of such a project, questions are bound to arise regarding its implementation and effectiveness. Farmers and villagers of Gadramal have therefore demanded a thorough inspection of the project, including the quality of construction, size and specifications of pipelines, progress of pipeline installation, capacity of the motors and intake well, total project expenditure and its actual irrigation potential. They have also urged the concerned department to complete the remaining work without further delay and ensure that irrigation water actually reaches the targeted farmland. However, the allegations made by the farmers are yet to be independently verified. The exact status of the project, quality of the work and the validity of the allegations can only be established through a proper technical and departmental inquiry. Local residents have demanded a transparent and impartial investigation into the project and urged the authorities to take corrective measures wherever necessary so that the intended benefits of the Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Project reach the farming community.