Balangir: The much-hyped Lower Suktel Irrigation Project has once again run into troubled waters as villagers of Koindapali, an affected village, have stopped the earth lifting work of the dam demanding complete payment of compensation.

Hundreds of villagers, including women and children, have been camping at the dam site since Saturday and not allowing the dam workers to take earth from the village for the earthwork.

Some vehicles of the construction company had gone to the village on Sunday to dig earth, but villagers forced them to return.

The villagers are also angry that state water resource secretary Pradeep Jena, who had visited Balangir recently, returned without visiting the project site where they had gathered to meet him.

Sources said that when the spillway work of the project began in 2013, the administration had told the villagers that total compensation would be paid before start of work. But now after nearly five years, 60 per cent work of spillway and 30 per cent earthwork of the dam are complete. But, the villagers have not been paid their compensation.

Prashant Bagarty, a Koindapali villager, alleged that the district administration was not concerned about their demands. "Though much of the dam work has already been completed, the administration has not been able to pay us our compensation. We were expecting the secretary of the water resource department to come here during his recent visit to Balangir. We wanted to discuss our problems with him. But, he disappointed us by not coming here," he said.

Bagarty said that neither the district administration nor the engineers of the project were showing any interest to address their problem. "We have stopped taking the district administration into confidence. We will not allow work of the project to continue till all our compensation is paid," he said.

Chief construction engineer of the Lower Suktel Irrigation Project Belarsen Bhoi admitted that works of the project had stopped due to the compensation demand of the villagers. "The villagers are not allowing us take earth from the village demanding total payment of compensation. I hope that we will find a way to solve the problem and start the project work again," Bhoi said.