Dam of despair: Rs 4.76 cr project fails to quench thirst of Bhadwar farmers

Even a year after the construction of a check dam at Sakloh village under the World Bank-funded Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Development Project (HPHDP), farmers and fruit growers are yet to receive irrigation benefits. The dam, meant to serve five cluster villages of Bhadwar gram panchayat, has failed to achieve its core objective — irrigating the fields of 360 identified beneficiaries.

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Despite a project outlay of Rs 4.76 crore (of which Rs 4.23 crore has been spent), the irrigation infrastructure has not been made functional. The horticulture department constructed six water tanks with a total storage capacity of 13 lakh litres and laid extensive pipelines, intending to irrigate 200 hectares of land through water drawn from the local Gareli Khud.

However, farmers allege that due to poor implementation, lack of accountability and mismanagement by the designated Shri Ram Gareli Khud Water Users’ Committee, the project remains non-functional.

“I gave my land for one of the water tanks, hoping my crops would be irrigated. But I haven’t received a drop of water,” laments Karam Singh, a local farmer.

Local leaders have also raised concerns over the quality and location of the dam construction. Parmajit, Up-Pradhan of Upper Bharmolli Panchayat, and Arun Kumar, Pradhan of Bhadwar Panchayat, allege that the check dam was breached during the very first monsoon and was only saved after emergency reinforcement using crate walls.

Lack of financial support hampers operations

Surinder Singh, Subject Matter Specialist of the Nurpur Horticulture Block, said the project was handed over to the Water Users’ Committee in May 2024 after successful testing. He emphasised that as per the HPHDP norms, beneficiaries must contribute towards electricity expenses to operate the irrigation system. “We conducted several successful trial runs. But the responsibility now lies with the committee and beneficiaries,” he said.

However, Shiv Dev Jaswal, a member of the committee, revealed that beneficiaries have refused to share electricity costs, making it impossible to run the project. “The committee had to pay Rs 43,000 from its own pocket just for the test runs. We can’t continue like this without support from the farmers,” he told The Tribune.

A project that missed its mark, farmers disillusioned

The HPHDP was designed to ensure sustainable horticultural development, improve productivity and market access and enhance water-use efficiency. However, in Bhadwar, the ambitious project has fallen short of all these objectives, leaving both public money wasted and farmers disillusioned.

Locals demand that the horticulture department take urgent corrective action, either by resuming control of the project or ensuring that financial and operational support mechanisms are put in place for effective functioning.