PONDA: Farmers in Kundaim are expressing growing concerns over the sluggish pace of construction work on the Khazan Bandhara, a riverside check dam, at Chickhalpaine paddy fields. The work, which commenced in December 2022, has a deadline for completion set for April 2024. However, farmers fear that the slow progress by the contractor may jeopardise the timely completion, impacting the agricultural activities of around 250 farmers in Kundaim.
Vijesh Naik, President of the Chichkalpaine Khajan Tenant Association, noted that the initial six months witnessed rapid progress with the use of both manpower and machinery. However, in recent months, the pace has significantly slowed down, with machinery absent and a reduced number of workers. Expressing concern over this slowdown, Vijesh emphasised that, at the current speed, there is a high likelihood of the work being delayed by a year. He urged the Agriculture Department officials to conduct regular inspections to monitor the progress.
Naik explained that the breach in the Bandhara in 2017 severely impacted paddy cultivation in Kundaim, with the fields being filled with saline water. For six years, farmers have been unable to cultivate both khazan and rabi crops. Approximately 250 farmers, with a fifty-fifty split between those cultivating rabi (Vaigan Crop) and khazan paddy crops, have seen their farming activities come to a standstill due to the breached bandhara.
The government initiated the bandhara construction project in December 2022, allocating Rs 2.5 crore for the purpose, with the expectation of completion in 2024. However, given the current slow pace, farmers are apprehensive that the work might not meet the deadline.
