By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The on-going protest since last 2 years, against the construction of mega drinking water projects worth Rs 892.14 Crore for Bhadrak district under Basudha Scheme , on Kharasrota river at Gadagadi Ghat areas of Barunadiha-Bharigada Panchayats under Rajkanika block in Kendrapara district gathered steam on Tuesday after protesters under the banner of Kharasrota Banchao Sangram Samiti led by 2 former MLAs , Deba Sharma and Dola Nayak, staged a demonstration at Lower PMG square here demanding immediate halt to the work, construct a barrage and formation of expert to study environmental impact on Bhitarkanika and Kharasrota ecosystem.
The Samiti members threatened that they will intensify their protest if the State government does not postpone the project work till barrage constructed and the environment impact assessment by an expert committee on Bhitarkanika and Kharasrota ecosystem is completed. Local farmers in Rajkanika and Aul blocks are arguing that while preparing the project for Bhadrak, the State Government 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.Locals living both sides of River Kharasrota ,feels their lifeline will be dried if water lifted for two projects.
Lack of normal flow of fresh water will increase saline ingression upstream. This shall affect the local flora and fauna as well as the livelihoods of farmers and fishermen dependent upon Brahmani and Kharasrota waters. Similarly, commercially important species like fresh water shrimp, mullets, mud crabs and bhekti are expected to disappear, leading to a decline in incomes of thousands of fishermen of Kendrapada district, they said.
It may be noted here that Bhadrak has major rivers like Baitarani, Salandi Kansabansa and Mantei as to why State Government is insisting on its decision to lift water from River Kharasrota , a defunct tributary of Coal mining hit River Brahmani.
The display board which had hanged at the project site by implementing agency, RWSS of Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department and executing agency, Megha Engineering India Pvt Limited, located at Bharigada-Barunadiha twin Panchayats of Rajkaika, after much outcry, claimed to feed people of Chandabali, Tihidi, Basudevpur and Dhamnagar blocks of Bhadrak while water sourcing will be from Kharasrota River , Gadagadi Ghat.
