The unfinished vision

Dumka, May 16: More than three decades have elapsed since work began on the Gumani barrage irrigation project amid hopes that it would bring about a green revolution in the drought-prone Santhal Pargana.

But, the project has been left in the lurch as the state government has failed to sanction any funds during 2007-08. The government, however, claims to have supplied irrigation facilities, while activating the main canal and the Dariapur reservoir by 2009.

Work on the Gumani barrage project, located at the connecting point of the rivers Gumani and Morang near Kharwa village under Barhet block in Sahebganj district, was started in 1976.

Reportedly, more than Rs 115 crore has been pumped into the project for 32 years.

The project aimed to provide irrigation facilities to more than 34,234 hecta- res of farmland spread across Sahebganj and neighbouring Pakur.

The Koda government had, last year, assured local beneficiaries that they would complete the project on time and sanction the remaining Rs 55 crore. The total estimate of the project was Rs 160 crore.

But, government apathy, land acquisition and technical problems and non-allotment of funds on time soon became major hurdles. Deputy commissioner S.S. Prasad was not available for comments and officials in the irrigation department remained tight-lipped in the matter.

“We are not responsible. Non-allotment of funds have killed the spirit of the project,” said an engineer in the Sahebganj irrigation department.

According to him, his department is waiting for the release of a sanctioned amount of Rs 596 lakh.

“Only the department can achieve the required flow of the project after receiving the money. Otherwise, the project would be dead,” he summed up.