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Hojai floods damage irrigation canals, crops

By CORRESPONDENT

HOJAI, Sept 8 � Flash floods occurred during the second week of August as the Jamuna and Dimaru rivers of Hojai subdivision were in spate due to heavy rainfall, inundating more than 50 villages under Hojai and Doboka revenue circles. The unexpected floods caused heavy damage not only to about 5,000 hectares of standing crops but also damaged the canal network of the Jamuna irrigation scheme.

The 29-km embankment from Sitalmari to Doboka on the southern bank of the Jamuna narrowly escaped a breach but at several places there was erosion. Along the river bank, the canal system of this important irrigation scheme was badly affected as the flood-waters caused breaches, erosion, overtopping the canal network.

The floodwaters at villages like Debasthan, Moudanga, Jamunagaon and Udmari overtopped and eroded the canal-cum-flood embankment, causing serious damage to the embankment as well as standing crops.

The executive engineer of the Jamuna irrigation division, Paban Bora, informed this correspondent that after taking over charge, he visited the affected sites to assess the extent of damage and the loss to the department and said that though the assessment of actual losses was under processes, it would be about Rs 3 crore.

The Jamuna irrigation project was included under the AIBP scheme of the Central Government for modernisation at an estimated cost of Rs 62 crore. With 90 per cent Central grants, the work has almost completed with canal concrete lining new structures, etc, and all the concrete works have remained unaffected by the floods, the engineer said. But the minor and sub-minor canals of distributory canals 1, 2 and 3 were damaged, one canal was breached and another was overtopped with breaches, Bora informed.

He also said that the iron gate at Sitalmari got stuck on the canal floor and blocked the water passing to the main canals. According to him, it is so heavy that a crane will be required to lift it. When asked how water would be supplied to the farmers for cultivation, Bora said that some manual works were under progress and it would not be a big problem to supply water. He further informed that the breached parts of the canals would be plugged temporarily in order to protect the interest of cultivators and the required quantum of water would be made available at any cost.

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