By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/KENDRAPARA: Thousands of farmers belonging to some more than 60 Panchayats of Aul and Rajkanika blocks of Odisha’s costal pocket of Kendrapara, on Saturday formed a human chain and served an ultimatum to Naveen Patnaik led Government to save River Kharasrota and scarp the Rs 892 Crores Mega Drinking Water Project.
Agitating farmers gathered at Gadagadighat Bridge play ground connecting Aul-Rajkanika and urged the State Government and District administration to look into the issue and give justice to them.“River Kharasrota is our lifeline and any attempt to loot water from here to serve in other areas will be dealt with democratic protest,” farmers said while shouting slogans against the company, which was given the work order.
The project had already been under scanner of National Green Tribunal (NGT) Scanner.Sources said Kolkata headquarters Rashmi Metaliks Ltd manufactured heavy water pipes have been parked near Chandabali Bridge connecting Kendrapara-Bhadrak on River Baitarani since strong opposition from locals of Rajkanika, Aul and many other places. “The heavy water pipes were intended to loot water from River Kharasrota,the lifeline for people of Aul, Rajkanika,Binjharpur of Jajpur.
Locals in Aul and Rajkanika have been opposing the Mega Drinking Water Project at Nuahat, Chandabali at a cost of Rs. 892 crores for supply of drinking water to 91 Panchayats in the Bhadrak District by extracting water from river Kharasrota that flows between Aul & Rajkanika blocks situated in the Kendrapara district of Odisha. While preparing the project, the State had skipped rivers Baitarani, Salandi, Mantei and Kansabansa which are major rivers in the State and instead preferred to extract water from Kharasrota, the smallest river in the State.
“This clearly overlooked the fact that the project could adversely impact the people of Rajakanika and Aul blocks in the Kendrapara district who are dependent upon their drinking and agricultural requirements from river Kharasrota” a NGT order said. The project would also adversely affect the entire Bhitarakanika National Park as it is dependent for its survival on this river which is the only source of fresh water as the other rivers are saline in nature.
