Bhawanipatna: A long-standing demand of farmers dependent on the Indravati irrigation system in Kalahandi district is about to be fulfilled, as the state government is taking steps to modernize the Indravati Left Main Canal.
Sources said that a detailed project report (DPR) worth Rs 560 crore has been prepared for the 52-km canal from the headworks to the tail end. This initiative is expected to resolve long-standing water supply problems that have plagued farmers for more than three decades. The Indravati Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project is considered the lifeline of Kalahandi district, supporting agriculture in a large part of the district. Since irrigation through the canal network began in 1994, farmers have relied on water from the Left and Right Canals for Kharif and Rabi crops.
Together with the Mega Lift Canal System, the project irrigates approximately 1.28 lakh hectares of agricultural land. While the right canal was renovated a few years ago, the left canal has deteriorated due to lack of proper maintenance.
Farmers in the Jaipatna, Koksara, Kalampur, Dharmagarh, Junagadh, and Golamunda blocks have repeatedly complained about water shortages and canal damage, often staging protests over the issue.
Dharmagarh MLA Sudhir Pattjoshi raised the issue in the state assembly, prompting the state government to initiate a major renovation plan. A high-level team of Water Resources Department officials recently inspected the canal. The canal network supports farmers from 256 villages and irrigates approximately 59,309 hectares of agricultural land.
According to Indravati’s Chief Construction Engineer, Gobardhan Nayak, the canal will be upgraded using modern engineering and irrigation technology. The project is expected to ensure efficient water distribution and reduce losses, benefiting thousands of farmers. Farmers have welcomed this initiative and called it a major relief.
They said the modernization will end years of uncertainty and eliminate the need for sleepless nights waiting for canal water to reach their fields. The Indravati project has played a key role in transforming drought-prone Kalahandi into a major agricultural producer. Annual paddy production in the district has increased from approximately 65,000 quintals to nearly 9.5 million quintals, making it one of the major rice-growing areas in Odisha.
Farmers largely credit the Indravati irrigation network for this agricultural success.
