IMPHAL, August 9: The failure of Singda Dam canal system which is an important component of the irrigation system in the agriculture sector of the State has pushed farmers of the State to the wall as they have not been able to receive sufficient water from the canals of the dam to be used at their respective arable lands even though there has been enough rains in the last few months.
According to farmers residing in and around the dam area, the number of agricultural land receiving water through the spillway of the dam is numerous. The canal which is located on the southern part of the dam is supposed to provide water to agricultural lands in the villages of Kadangbam Lamkhai, Phayeng, Lairenkabi, Sanjenbam, Haorang and Heibongpokpi.
However, the two canals of the dam have stopped giving water even though water from the canals could reach up to half kilometre distance from the canal’s spillway. Since the concerned authorities have failed to look into the condition of the canals, the canals have now been damaged. As of it, the agricultural lands in the villages are being deprived of water from the canals.
Due to the shortage of water being faced by the farmers, some have even started using water for their agricultural activities by pumping water using water pump set from the pool of water drained out from the leakage of the canals, the villagers said.
Moreover, some farmers have tried to cover the damaged part of the canals by laying bags filled with earth and sand so that the water from the canals could reach up to their respective arable lands. The kind of execution of works performed by the farmers was done by contributing money from each of them.
By doing so, the dam might have existed literally in the eyes of the farmers, but the hope that they would be able to perform their agricultural activities by using the water from the method they adopted has gone in vain.
The dam was inaugurated in 1974-75 and had started functioning since then. Subsequently, after 20 years of its inauguration ie from 1995, the canals of the dam were made to function and started providing water to agricultural lands in the villages.
However, the canals of the dam had stopped giving water after three years in 1998 to the farmers of the villages due to the failure of the concerned authorities to repair the damaged portion of the canals in time, the villagers rued.