By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/KENDRAPARA: A project worth Rs 892.14 Crore started without public hearing. A mandatory for the Contractor or executing or implementing agency, to hang display board for such project prior to resumption of work, also blatantly violated, that followed by midnight arrest by Kendrapara Police, such kind of development in Biju Babu’s Karmabhoomi of Kendrapara, represented by 5 BJD MLAs and lone MP, now witnessing the mockery of 5T Initiative taken up by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his most trusted lieutenant, 5T Secretary, VK Pandian.
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.
Without any public display or hearing, one can imagine the way one of the most controversial company Hyderabad based Megha Engineering India Pvt Limited, started its project work at Gadagadi Ghat under Rajkanika-Aul areas of Kendrapara as part of its Rs 892.14 Crore Drinking water project to feed people of Bhadrak . It clearly speaks a lot about how the Company in collusion with State Government as well as ruling Party Political leaders, those who calling shots in Government and administration, trying to supress the voices of farmers and locals of Rajkanika and Aul blocks of the district.
The display board which has hanged at the project site 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 wil be from Kharasrota River , Gadagadi Ghat.
Quoting 2011 census, the MEIL display board, said the project would cover 6,16,828 and will reach at 10,29,065 as per 2050 census with water demand of 88.32 MLD.The date of commencement of the project, the MEIL mentioned that 15.02.2019 and will be completed by 28.02.2022. Implementing Department is RWSS Division; Bhadrak and Executing agency is MEIL, the display board reads.
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.
According to a report on ground water level that published in 2017 for Kendrapara’s Rajkanika, Rajnagar, Mahakalpada and Garadapur blocks, it was stated that ground water level reported salt water while ground water level in Bhadrak’s Tihidi, Basudevpur and Dhamnagar blocks were started to be safe water. If that the case, as to why Government is insisting on lifting water from Kharasrota for Bhadrak.
As per the dynamic ground water resources assessment of India-2017, Kendrapara has 5445.19 HAM ground water while Bhadrak has 17021.48 HAM, which is 3 times more than Kendrapara but why water from Kharasrota to be used for Bhadrak, the Government should explain it. Kendrapara District Irrigation Report dated on 25.04.2016 under Pradhan Mantri Krushi Surekhya Yojana, page-74, it was stated that in 2020 demand for water in Kendrapara will be around 1.463 BCM while its water level is now stands at 996 BCM.
Water experts apprehends that the commercial coal mining and as well as iron ore mining badly hitting major rivers and its tributaries “The new proposed mining in 9 new Coal blocks that include 8 in Angul alone, will add to the water scarcity not only in Angul-Talcher belt but also a number of local streams draining into Brahmani are most likely to be lost forever into the mining areas, affecting the water availability and quality of water of Brahmani and its tributaries like Kharasrota
Meanwhile, Green Activist Srikant Nayak, who has been on hunger strike for over 10 days protesting diversion of water from Kharasrota river, had to be force-fed on Saturday after his condition deteriorated at the district headquarters hospital in Kendrapara.
The activist from Rajkanika had launched the strike on August 10 near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Kendrapara town. He was moved to hospital on August 15 by district administration. However, he refused food and continued his strike at the hospital.
“The riverside villagers will become more vulnerable to salinity due to diversion of fresh water from the river for the mega drinking water project in Bhadrak,” he said gathering strength at the hospital.
The villages around Bhitarkanika National Park are already facing salination issues and situation will worsen due to the project, which he said will lead to scarcity of drinking and irrigation water and cause changes in the aquatic ecosystem. “The government should first build a barrage on Kharosrota river to store the water before diverting it from the river,” he demanded.
