Bhubaneswar: A delegation of the Opposition BJD Tuesday met Union Minister for Jal Shakti CR Patil and apprised him of the potential submergence of large areas in Odisha’s Malkangiri district, due to construction of a multi-purpose project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
The delegation, led by senior leader Debi Prasad Mishra, also submitted a memorandum with the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The regional party in its memorandum mentioned that the Polavaram project is likely to impact the lives and livelihoods of thousands of tribal people, especially those from vulnerable and primitive tribes in Malkangiri.
“This requires urgent attention and remedial action,” the BJD said, adding, the central government recently sanctioned Rs 15,000 crore for completion of the project.
The BJD, in a statement, said the project was conceived under the resolution of the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT), which outlined agreements between Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh.
“However, significant changes have been made to the original design flood discharge capacity of the dam project. The project authorities have increased the flood discharge from 36 lakh cusecs to 50 lakh cusecs, without sufficient consideration of the backwater impact in the upstream states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
“This shift has caused apprehensions among the affected populations of Malkangiri, who are at the risk of losing their lands and homes,” it said.
The delegation, which reached New Delhi on Tuesday, would also meet top officials of the Central Water Commission and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and submit memoranda on the adverse impacts of the Polavaram project on Odisha.
Earlier, BJD president Naveen Patnaik had formed a fact-finding committee, which toured various areas in Malkangiri district and prepared a report on the possible impact of the project.
According to the committee’s report, around 200 villages in Motu and Padia blocks of the district will be inundated due to the project.
PTI