Gunupur: A river-linking project in the upstream area of the Vamsadhara river was proposed in 2005 near Gudari in Rayagada district. However, the project has allegedly been shelved into cold storage.
The project assumes significance in the region for irrigation and drinking water purposes while Andhra Pradesh has been carrying out construction of Neredi barrage in the downstream of the river to utilise its water.
People of five blocks in Rayagada and Gajapati districts have long been waiting for the project, but their dream has still remained unrealised.
According to reports, Vamsadhara water tribunal has given green signal to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to carry on construction of Neredi barrage June 21. The verdict of the tribunal triggered waves of protests in five blocks of Rayagada and Gajapati.
Locals united under various outfits had slammed the state government and demanded that the state government take steps to prevent the Andhra government from constructing the Neredi project.
The Vamsadhara Ababahika Surakhya Samiti started a padayatra, rally and staged demonstrations against the Andhra government and apathy of the state government from August 1 to August 31.
A number of organisations had supported the agitation. They also submitted a memorandum to the Gunupur sub-collector August 31, appealing to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to prevent the bid by Andhra government.
September 2, a five-member delegation from the Samiti left for Bhubaneswar. It was said that a delegation of the government had announced at a presser that surveys would be conducted for some small projects which will be constructed in the upstream area of Vamsadhara.
However, there has been no survey for projects till date, locals alleged.
The delegation of the Samiti had talks with Water Resources Minister Raghunandan Das, SC/ST Welfare Minister Jagannath Sarka, Gunupur MLA Raghunath Gamang, advisor of Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana Sudhir Kumar Das, MLAs Pranab Prakash Das, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, special secretary to the Chief Minister, R Vineel Krishna, and chief engineer of the water resources department Dhiren Samal at the Chief Minister’s chamber regarding the river linking project in the upstream areas.
The delegation told the government that the people of upstream areas in Odisha will face a number of difficulties like floods and waterlogging if Andhra executes the Neredi project in the downstream.
They pointed out that after the neighbouring state commissioned Gota barrage, the upstream areas had to face massive floods in 1980. The river-linking project in the upstream area will help in controlling floods and irrigating land.
The delegation was assured that a number of small barrages and a mega lift irrigation project will be implemented in upper catchment area. As per the verdict of the tribunal, 50 per cent of the Vamsadhara water will be shared by Odisha.
The delegation was assured that a survey will be started within 15 days while a detailed project report (DPR) will be prepared in two months.
Convenor of the Samiti Ranjit Padhi said the chief engineer of the water resources department attributed the delay in survey to ongoing frequent floods.
Notably, former water resources minister Rabinarayan Nanda laid the foundation stone for the river linking project propsoed at the confluence of Vamsadhara and Rusikulya rivers near Gudari in 2005.
This project was said to be a counter to Andhra Pradesh. At that time, two top officials visited the Vamsadhar river basin area.
PNN