CHARILAM: Farmers of Lalsingmura Gram Panchayat area have demanded the demolition of a defunct sluice gate built on the Andi Chhara stream, alleging that the structure has remained non-functional for the past 25 years, causing large-scale crop damage every monsoon season.
According to the farmers, the malfunctioning sluice gate prevents proper water flow through the stream during heavy rains, forcing water to spill over nearly a thousand kani of paddy fields in the area, destroying standing crops year after year. The affected stretch lies in the Andi Chhara area, between Shikharia and Rangamati, under Lalsingmura Gram Panchayat.
Local farmers said repeated requests to the concerned authorities for repair or removal of the gate have gone unheeded over the past two and a half decades, leading to mounting financial losses for the farming community dependent on the land for their livelihood.
Demanding immediate demolition of the gate to allow free water flow, farmers said continued inaction would result in further agricultural losses in the upcoming monsoon season. They urged the administration to take swift action to resolve the long-standing issue.