Sambalpur: A breach in the Sasan main canal near Pandripali village in Kilasama village panchayat area affected irrigation and flooded vast area of cultivated land on Friday.

Local residents noticed the 20-feet-long breach on Friday morning and informed the district administration and the police. The breach occurred near a concrete structure, flooding nearby paddy fields.

Sambalpur collector Samarth Verma and sub-collector Pradeep Kumar Sahu rushed to spot along with irrigation officials. "Water supply to the canal was immediately stopped and repair work has started," Verma said.

Sahu told The Telegraph that the actual loss of crop could be estimated only after the water receded.

This was the second breach in the Sasan main canal in the last two months. On February 11, a major breach of 30 feet was noticed on the canal wall near Balabasanpur village in Kilasama village panchayat area, in which more than 700 acres of cultivated land was affected. "The repair will be done within 48 hours," said an engineer of the irrigation department.

Krushak Sangathan leaders alleged that the breach occurred due to neglect in the canal's maintenance work.

"We have seen breaches in the canal embankment several times," they said, demanding a probe into the matter. Sasan is the second biggest canal on Hirakud dam, providing water to farmers at Rengali, Dhankauda and Mane-swar blocks. The last major maintenance work on the canal was taken up in 2004.