Chhatrapur,10/11(PPT):Anu Garg DC-cum-ACS of the Department of Water Resources, recently visited the Itagadiabandha Minor Irrigation Project (MIP) in Mahanadapur village, located in the Chattrapur block of Ganjam district. This project is part of the World Bank-funded “Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture” (IIAP). Accompanying her were the Collector of Ganjam, the Project Director of OIIPCRA, Chief Engineer of Minor Irrigation, Additional Chief Engineer, Superintending Engineers (Ganjam 1 and Ganjam 2), and district and state-level officials from the Agriculture, Horticulture, and Fishery departments.
Members of the local Panipanchayata actively participated in discussions regarding the project’s successful implementation. They also proposed further enhancements to expand the ponding area, which would increase the ayacut. The Chief Engineer assured them that the proposal would be reviewed and implemented as soon as possible. Farmers from the Radhakrishna Panipanchayata reported successful cash crop yields alongside paddy cultivation, attributed to the irrigation improvements. Since the project’s initiation under the IIAP in 2023, community members have been reinvesting their profits for mutual benefit. Fish farming is also contributing to village development and supporting local religious activities through donations to temples.