Sambalpur: A breach in the Sasan main canal near Balabasapur village under Kilasama panchayat affected irrigation and flooded vast tracts of cultivated land on Sunday.

Local residents noticed a 30ft-long breach on the "toe wall" near the canal's siphon at a time 360 cusecs of water was flowing early in the morning. The breach resulted in more than 700 acres of cultivated land at Balabasapur and Kilasama being flooded.

Sambalpur sub-collector Pradeep Sahu said the extent of damage and loss of paddy would be known after the water level recedes.

However, he said, the loss would not be much as the paddy plants were recently planted.

Water supply in the canal has been suspended for the next three days for repairs, he said.

The irrigation department's superintending engineer S. Panda and his team have already reached the spot and started repairs.

"The repair will be done within three days. Once completed, we will submit a status report to the chief engineer for action," said Panda.

Krushak Sangathan leaders alleged that the breach occurred due to neglect in the canal's maintenance. However, the officials refuted the allegations. They said the canal was the oldest in the state, constructed after the completion of the Hirakud dam during the sixties. Department officials will conduct a survey of the dry canal during repairs to avoid further breaches.

Officials also said suspension of canal water for three days during would not affect the cultivation process in the downstream.

Sasan is the second biggest canal on the Hirakud dam, providing water to farmers at Rengali, Dhankauda and Maneswar blocks. During 2004, the irrigation department had taken up a major renovation and maintenance work by suspending water supply for more than a month.