Farmers Block Highway Over Water Dispute in Odisha

Farmers protested by blocking NH-26 in Odisha, demanding water release from Indravati dam’s lift canal for the Rabi season. The protest, led by the Krushak Sachetan Manch, targeted the project's decision not to release water due to low reservoir levels, affecting crop cultivation plans.

Farmers in Odisha's Kalahandi district, under the group 'Krushak Sachetan Manch,' blocked the Bargah-Boriguma road on NH-26, demanding water release from the Indravati dam's lift canal for their Rabi crops.

The protest, primarily involving farmers from the Koksara and Dharamgarh blocks, began at Moter Chowk and disrupted traffic for 12 hours. Siba Prasad Pradhani, the group's president, highlighted the critical water shortage, which threatens crop cultivation.

Despite the canal's inauguration in 2021 to irrigate vast tracts of farmland, Pranaya Pradhan, an official with the canal system, explained that low rainfall had severely reduced water availability, preventing its use for the Rabi season.

(With inputs from agencies.)