ROURKELA: In the wake of erratic monsoon often spelling disaster for agriculture in the rain-fed Sundargarh district, the district administration has decided to set up 555 check damns before onset of monsoon. The project, being implemented under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme, envisages to boost micro irrigation coverage and also help soil and water conservation. Each of the check dams would cost ` 3 to 5 lakh. Capacity building of Junior Engineers (JEs) concerned is underway for effective and timely outcome. District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Project Director Pradeep Kumar Nayak said works on the plan kicked off last month to achieve the target as each of the 111 JEs have been asked to ensure five projects. He said each check dam would have capacity to irrigate 10 to 15 acres of farmland and maintained by user groups comprising local cultivators. Yet, given the ‘erratic’ mindset of field- level officials apprehension looms large over the quality of works and timely completion. The officer said a ‘quality monitoring team’ had been formed which would ensure random checks. Administrative sources said the majority of farmers in the rain-fed district are marginal tribals who faced two successive failed monsoons till 2010. Though, monsoon in 2011 later proved beneficial, majority farmers across the district refrained from growing cash crops during rabi season for want of water. Agro experts say the check dams would prove useful to extend ‘protective irrigation’ during kharif season and also ensure water for horticulture and other cash-crops during rabi season. However, Sundargarh Zilla Parishad president Petrush Toppo said stakeholders concerned should be consulted for location of the check dams for maximum benefit. He said the administrative machinery should not whimsically fritter away funds and all JEs of 17 blocks would be asked to make field visits and take local farmers into confidence to finalise the locations.
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