Sagarpali :a village on the reservior but no water for irrigation

Sagarpali villagers in Jharsuguda district are suffering from injustice ever since the construction of the Hirakud dam. Located on the bank of the Hirakud reservoir, the village is one of the reconstructed villages that are yet to include in the revenue record of the state. The suicidal death of a farmer of the village who died on 4^th Oct has become an eye opener for the farmers of the locality who feel government would do nothing unless they raise voices against the injustice. The farmers have taken the issue seriously to bring a massive agitation to bring the attention of the government.

“It is really a matter of regret that farmer of our village dies committing suicide for crop loss due to poor rainfall. Sagarpali is a village that has been reconstructed after it’s submerged in Hirakud reservoir. Though we reside on the bank of reservoir we do not get reservoir water for irrigation due to wrong government policy”, a villager of Sagarpali, Bhaskar Pradhan told. “Our plight can be well imaginable when 70 percent of our village has been submerged in the reservoir but now we can not use the water. There is no reward for the contribution that our forefathers have made than”, Pradhan added.

Sources said, heavy loss of crop due to poor rainfall has broken the back bone of the farmer of the Lakhanpur block of Jharsuguda district. Farmers of the block do not even get water from the reservoir as the lift points are remained defunct since a long time. Neither the administration nor the local people representative takes any action to get the lift points functioned. Gourahari Patra, a villager of Sagarpali committed suicide on 4^th Oct due to heavy crop loss. “He has taken a loan of Rs. 20 thousand from cooperative society. The lift point that is located besides his land remains defunct since a long time. He was mentally upset and committed suicide consuming pesticide leaving his widow and 4 son and daughters” another villager Panchan Saa told.

The negative attitude of the district administration on issue fueled the anger of the farmers of the locality. They blamed administration responsible for the death of the farmers. “When every one that visits our village could realize that Gourahari’s death got a direct link with his crop loss, surprisingly administration failed to realize the truth behind the incident”, villager Loknath Sahu opined. It may be mentioned here that elder brother of deceased’s father Sanyasi Patra had adopted Gourahari since he was child. Since deceased was the only son of his adopted father, dispute with his brothers regarding lands does not arise in any point of time. “I am once again become alone after his death. I do not know how I live with out him”, adopted father Sanyasi Patra said in a tearful eye.

On the other hand the widow of late Gourahari does not know how to take care of the family member after the death of her husband. “His demise brings a desperate atmosphere in the family and I do not know how to over come such a trauma”, deceased wife Saraswati told.