Berhampur: A long-standing demand to link Vamsadhara river with Rushikulya has resurfaced, with proponents emphasising the benefits of flood control and resolution of drinking water woes across several regions in Ganjam and Gajapati districts.
Additionally, the project promises adequate irrigation facilities for agriculture, according to various farmers’ outfits. However, Rushikulya river, the lifeline of Ganjam district, has been drying up completely during the summers.
Many stakeholders argue for linking Rushikulya with the Mahanadi river to ensure perennial water flow. Despite several demonstrations and agitations advocating for these river-linking projects during the tenures of earlier governments, the proposals remain unimplemented.
Notably, during the 2000 and 2004 elections, the BJD-BJP coalition government had highlighted these projects. At that time, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who held the Water Resources portfolio, and Ravi Nanda, then Jeypore MLA and Deputy Minister for Water Resources, had initiated surveys for the Vamsadhara-Rushikulya link. The foundation stone was laid near Gudari in Rayagada district for the project on the bank of Vamsadhara.
Two decades later, the project remains stuck at the foundation-laying stage. Reports had been prepared to channel Vamsadhara water to the Padmanadi near Adava in the Gajapati district, and it was subsequently merged with Rushikulya in Ganjam. This was expected to enhance irrigation facilities in numerous villages located in the area starting from Sheragada to Hinjili. However, the proposed plan has not materialised.
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Similarly, during the first coalition government, there was a strong demand to link Rushikulya with the Mahanadi. Former Deputy Speaker Ramachandra Panda led a farmers’ movement in Chhatrapur to press for the cause, and then-Minister Mangala Kisan assured the Assembly of the project’s execution. Yet, the initiative saw no progress under the previous administration.
Now, with the BJP in power, political dynamics have shifted, and the new government has presented an ambitious election manifesto. Experts and stakeholders believe that operationalising the Vamsadhara-Rushikulya linkage would not only control the floodwaters of both rivers but also make Rushikulya a perennial river. Public opinion strongly supports the Rushikulya-Mahanadi linkage as well, which could bring life back to the dwindling Rushikulya river.
PNN