1,086 acres waterlogged in 20 villages of Rohtak, Jhajjar

Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, December 7

A survey conducted by the Department of Irrigation has found accumulation of water upto six inches over 1,086 acres of agricultural land in Rohtak and Jhajjar districts even three months after the unseasonal rain lashed the region.

Sources said a total 400 acres of 11 villages in Rohtak and 686 acres of nine villages in Jhajjar are affected by waterlogging leaving farmers in trouble as they had been waiting for their fields to be dewatered so they could sow the wheat crop. Irrigation officials in both districts have started dewatering the fields following directives of the state government in this respect.

96 Jhajjar villages were affected

Waterlogging was reported on 13,000 acres in 96 villages of Jhajjar three months ago. Dewatering was undertaken and now around 686 acres remain affected. —Pratibha, xen (mechanical), Irrigation department, Jhajjar

The government had recently directed the Executive Engineers of The Irrigation Department to ensure that the fields were completely dewatered in their area concerned by December 9 so that the farmers could sow the wheat crop.

“A total 70 acres in Madina, 60 acres in Sundana, 50 acres in Masudpur, 48 acres in Mokhra, 45 acres in Bahu Akbarpur, 40 acres in Kabulpur, 30 acres in Ritoli, 20 acres each in Nindana and Kultana, 10 acres each in Garhi Sampla and Baland villages have been found to be submerged in water during the survey,” said Rajesh Bhardwaj, Executive Engineer (Mechanical), Irrigation Department, Rohtak.

He maintained water was accumulated mostly in those areas where the level of subsoil water was high. Now, a pit was being dug near a pocket of waterlogged area to remove the accumulated water. Firstly, the stagnant water will be put into the pit through trenches and then it will be pumped out to any nearby drain. The work to drain out the water has started in all affected villages simultaneously. All fields will be fully dewatered within a couple of days, he added. Bhardwaj said the dewatering operations had to be put on halt in Mokhra, Madina, Behlba, Nindana and Bahu Akbarpur villages as the land owners resisted the digging of trenches in their fields. They wanted a permanent solution to the issue, he added.

In Jhajjar district, Jondhi, Kheri Khummar, Khatiwas, Birdhana, Dighal, Kundhrawali, Bithla, Chhochhi and Guda villages have been found affected by waterlogging.

“Waterlogging was reported over 13,000 acres in 96 villages of the district three months ago due to unseasonal rain. Special operation was carried out to dewater the area and we got success in doing so in the minimum time. The remaining 686 acres are taking time to be dewatered due to non-availability of drainage points nearby while the drains are also full to their capacity,” said Pratibha, Executive Engineer (Mechanical), Irrigation Department, Jhajjar. She said the remaining area would also be dewatered before the deadline as the operation had been resumed.

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