Indravati water level may worsen irrigation woes in Odisha

BHAWANIPATNA: Kalahandi will likely face an acute water shortage in the upcoming days due to the drop in water levels of the Indravati reservoir. The reservoir, considered as the lifeline of Kalahandi, is facing water shortage due to poor rain during the last monsoon. Its water level stood at 631.

99 m on Monday against the full level of 642 m. The current water inflow is 17,060 cumecs and outflow stands at 73,182 cumecs. The irrigation water is released from the reservoir through left and right canals from Mangalpur barrage of the reservoir.



For the current Rabi season, water was planned to be released for 53,374 hectares across 296 villages in the Jaipatna, Dharamgarh, Koksara, Kalampur, and Junagarh blocks through the left and right canals. However, scarcity of water has its impacts. As of now, the water flow in the left canal is 49.

21 cumecs against the total 69.77 cumecs and in the right canal is 23 cumecs against the 50 cumecs. Due to this, regions near the lift canal and the tail end areas of the right canal aren’t getting water for irrigation.

Adding to the crisis, water is no longer being released into the Hati river due to water shortage in the reservoir, which may lead to drinking water shortages in villages along the riverbanks. Besides irrigation, inflow of adequate water in the canals help recharge water bodies and ground water in irrigated areas but in the present status, it will be adversely affected and may not cope with the April, May and June requirements..