To irrigate the parched Bengal farmlands, Damodar Valley Corporation, has kicked off the first-phase release of irrigation water today.

The release would hit the Durgapur Barrage on 27 July, the DVC officials said. “The total release through the canal systems then would ensure Kharif paddy sowing on 8.20 lakh acres of south Bengal farmlands,” said Shyamaprasanna Lohar, sabhadhipati, East Burdwan zilla parishad.

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The Bengal government had demanded release of 1.80 lakh acre-feet in the first phase, which the DVC agreed to 1.30 lakh acre-feet. At a meeting on irrigation in Burdwan town, presided over by the divisional commissioner, Burdwan, Abanindranath Singh on Tuesday, the officials from five south Bengal districts ratified the claim of irrigation water. The irrigation will help sowing in 42 south Bengal blocks in five districts. Of them, 5.87 lakh acres of East Burdwan farmlands followed by 1.54 lakh acres in Hooghly, 67,300 acre in Bankura, 14,050 in Howrah and 5,393 acres in West Burdwan will be irrigated, the divisional commissioner said.

The farmlands had experienced a 38 per cent rainfall deficit in the corresponding period in 2022 and in the current season the shortfall has reached 45.9 per cent, the agriculture authorities said. East Burdwan, a major paddy hub of Bengal that’s set to cultivate Amon paddy on 3.77 lakh hectares this season has recorded 148.9 mm rainfall up to 18 July, of which Ketugram- 1 & Purbasthali-1 got the least rainfall. The average rainfall each year is recorded at 273 mm.

On 12 July, last year, the Bengal government had asked the DVC to ensure release of irrigation water earlier to help farmers sowing Kharif paddy considering the scarcity of monsoon precipitation in south Bengal districts. The DVC accordingly had kicked off first-phase release from 22 July. The authorities had asked for 10 days’ time as its dams too didn’t have sufficient water for the purpose due to a shortfall of rain in the upper catchment. This year, according to DVC, the water level in Maithon and Panchet dams are staying 6 feet higher than the previous year. This year the dams, the officials said, “Have their storage levels at 466.33 feet and 406.20 feet respectively, showing a bit of solvency.”