Subernarekha Multipurpose Project: Yet to be finished

Ranchi, July 27: Over a lakh farmers in Ranchi, Khunti and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts have been left in the lurch since last year’s collapse of the Kanchi canal irrigation project responsible for watering over 40,000 acres of farmland.

With the state government not showing any urgency in repairing 200km of the canal that is now devoid of a dependable water source, thousands of acres will remain barren this kharif season with production of paddy expected to nosedive.

Incepted in 1958, the Kanchi canal project has been irrigating farmland in the extremist-hit blocks of Bundu, Sonahatu, Tamar (in Ranchi district), Arki (in Khunti district) and Ichhagarh (in Seraikela-Kharsawan district).

“We are unable to supply water through Kanchi canal which got damaged on July 16, 2006, due to floods,” said Chanda Hembrom, the executive engineer of Bundu division of the state water resources department.

“But last year, it collapsed totally. We made an abortive attempt to repair it by inviting tenders worth Rs 4.85 crore. Not a single construction company turned up to bid for the project as it is situated in the Naxalite belt,” he added.

The damage in the canal is near Churgi-Arradih village near the Dasam Falls area — exactly where the burnt armoured van used by ICICI Bank to transport Rs 5.5 crore in cash and gold was recovered weeks after it was hijacked by suspected Maoists on May 21.

There is considerable anger among local farmers for being left in the lurch. Their ire is directed at the state for not doing enough, thereby paving the way for Maoists to strengthen there influence among them.

In fact, farmers have been thronging the divisional headquarters regularly to force officials to speed up the canal’s repair.

They have also blocked the Ranchi-Jamshedpur highway on several occasions to press for their demand. None of this, however, moved the authorities.

Now, with no contractor willing to take up the project in rebel-infested areas, the state water resources department has reportedly shelved the idea of carrying out repairs. Instead, it is working on a detailed project report worth Rs 200 crore to construct a new barrage at the same spot.

That doesn’t look too encouraging for farmers judging by Jharkhand’s record in completing big irrigation projects. Example: The Subernarekha Multipurpose Project started in the ’70s is yet to be completed.

Nand Kishore Roy, the department’s engineer-in-chief who took over recently, admitted he did not have the project’s details, but was open to alternative proposals from his officers.

But executive engineer Hembrom said they had sent two proposals — in November 2007 and March 2008 — about repairing the canal, but so far nothing had been done.