JEYPORE: Fear is writ large on the faces of Koraput district with scattered rainfall leading to apprehensions of a poor harvest this kharif season. Preliminary reports indicate that if the irrigation sources do not reach the farmers by October 20 there would be a crop loss of about 40 per cent. About 1.5 lakh acres have been cultivated for paddy and most of the crop is in the flowering stage and would ripen by next month. But deficiency in rainfall and irrigation water reported in September are a worry for the farmers. Though 70 per cent paddy crop in Jeypore, Kotapad, Borrigumma, Kundra and Boipariguda pockets received 50 per cent less rainfall during September, moist weather conditions and sporadic rainfall helped the crops grow as required. What is worrying the farmers now is absence of rain for 15 days now in several pockets resulting in crop damage. To add to their woes, most of the minor irrigation projects came to a grinding halt, the lone upper Kolab irrigation canal which has been supplying water for about 40,000 hectares in the paddy patches, has not reached the fields as required. It has come to light that barring a few pockets in Jeypore block, the Kolab irrigation project has failed to provide water to various inaccessible pockets due to canal breaches and sand deposit on the routes. Initially, the main and sub-canals were providing water till the second week of September but later the frequent disruption in water supply resulted in a mess up in water supply. Agriculture Department sources said scanty rainfall in the past one month resulted in water scarcity for crops.