Bargarh Canal Renovation Project under Nalifita
The proposed ambitious project to protect the Bargarh main canal from the Hirakud dam and prevent water wastage has been crushed under Nalifita. The Rs 200 crore project has received administrative approval from the state government, but no progress has been made.
Most of the farmland in the Hirakud Command area is irrigated through the Bargarh main canal. In 2005, farmers’ agitation erupted across western Odisha, protesting against the supply of water to Hirakud from industry. The long struggle of the peasants created great problems for the state government. Finally, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik held talks with the farmers’ organization in April 2009. The government then spent Rs 200 crore on the renovation of the Bargarh Canal. At that time, some of the branch canals along with the Bargarh main canal were undergoing some repairs. Later, the state government announced the Gangadhar Meher Irrigation Project to provide irrigation facilities to farms in the Bijapur area. The state government’s large-scale package was said to have funded the renovation of the Bargarh Canal. With the increase in the height of the Bargarh Canal Heads, it was proposed to build a concrete line on the inside. But what happened is that the renovation work has not yet begun.
