Kendrapara: The Mahanadi and Brahmani river systems going dry ahead of the summer season has sparked concern over a looming water crisis in this district and in the Bhitarkanika National Park, a report said. The water sources generally originate from hills, hill-ranges and mountains.
Reports said, the construction of a barrage in Baitarani river might prove costly for the district. The Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary has been deprived of adequate water with the tributaries of Mahanadi and Brahmani river going dry before the start of the summer season. It is apprehended that the water crisis might acquire a serious turn if urgent steps are not taken. The construction of various projects on the upstream of the river has left the residents worrying.
Reports said that over seven tributaries under Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani river systems flow through the district. The river water is used for drinking purpose and also for agriculture. The fresh water of the rivers also flows into Bhitarkanika and protects its eco-system.
However, lack of effective management of the river systems has led to the crisis. Educationists Bhuban Mohan Jena, senior citizen Ganesh Chandra Samal, social activists Sanjay Kumar Behura, Khitish Kumar Singh, Srikant Nayak apprehend that water will become costlier in the next three decades if urgent steps are not taken to address the Mahanadi water dispute between the Odisha government and Chhattisgarh government.
Kendrapara district which is at the downstream will bear the maximum brunt. The residents will need 3,000 cubic metre of excess water than the amount that will be flowing in Brahmani river in the next three decades. The water crisis will also affect the proposed steel plant and the state’s first riverine port project in the district.
Similarly, water flow from Baitarani to Bhitarkanika will be reduced after the proposed barrage on the river in Jajpur is completed. The construction of the Rengali project on the upstream of the Brahmani river will help in providing irrigation facilities to agriculture.
Similarly, over 10 industrial plants in Kalinganagar takes 110 cusecs of water from Brahmani and Kharasrota rivers. IDCO has constructed a high power pump house on the Brahmani river bank at Pankapal to lift the river water. Similarly, water of Kharasrota, which is a tributary of Brahmani is supplied to industrial plants in Marthapur.
The Odisha government has sanctioned drinking water projects on the Brahmani and Kharasrota rivers for supply to 280 villages under Binjharpur, Jajpur, Korei and Rasulpur blocks. Moreover, construction of a drinking water project in Kharasrota river at Barundiha under Rajkanika block for supply of drinking water to four blocks in Bhadrak district might result in severe water crisis in future.
The groundwater level is also at an alarming stage. This has been found during a survey by the Central Ground Water Board in 2017. All these taken together this will drastically reduce the water flow to the district and result in severe water crisis in future.
PNN