Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Feb 21: Due to the negligence of officials, the vented dam built at a cost of lacs of rupees at Shedinakodlu at Gangadi between Moodubage and Kodladi in Ajri-Amparu gram panchayat limits, has gone dry. Uncontrolled seepage of water has made the backwaters of the dam dry, as a result of which farmers in the region are facing water crisis.

This vented dam was full up to its brim last February. The dam used to have good water storage level even during period of scarce rain, but the apathy of the engineers of minor irrigation department in properly placing planks across the river to block outflow of water in time has caused the water to drain out, people say. The farmers say that they had repeatedly pointed out to the officers about this error, but they failed to take any preventive action.

As the rainfall this time was the lowest among the last five years, all the water sources including wells and ponds are drying up. The vented dam, which earlier used to have good water level, fed plantations and agricultural farms of villages around, besides helping ponds and wells for a stretch of three km to maintain good water level, is devoid of any water now. The farmers have become listless for no fault of theirs.

In the past, people used to block flow of water in River Kubja by using boulders at Koodu near Ajri. The water here had enabled over 300 farmers to grow areca nut, coconut, banana,paddy etc. Later, the vented dam at Shedinakudlu came up in the year 2000 with the efforts put in by the then MLA, I M Jayaram Shetty and MLC, Pratapchandra Shetty. Initially, the farmers used to stop draining of water by placing wooden planks. In course of time, complaining about non-payment for the planks fixing work, the farmer stopped this work. After MLA, Gopal Poojary, was approached with this problem, he helped the dam to get fibre sheets.

The farmers now say that overlooking opposition from the farmers who pointed out that fixing of planks so early is unscientific, the department officials fixed the planks at the dam in November itself. In spite of opposition from the locals, they fixed the planks vertically, the farmers say. As water flowed out of these planks on a continuous basis because of faulty planks, the dam does not hold any water now, they lament.

With the drying up of the vented dam, water sources in the area have also been drying up. In all likelihood, wells and ponds in the area will be devoid of water this summer. Therefore, the villagers foresee difficult days ahead as the prospects drinking water scarcity looms large. The farms and plantations are sure to get parched. As a hole, the negligent attitude of minor irrigation department officials has forced the people of these villages to suffer.