Welcoming the National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s direction to the Chhattisgarh Government not to initiate construction works of 31 projects over the Mahanadi, the Agami Odisha and the Odisha Nadi Suraksha Sammukhya have decided to intensify stir under the Mahanadi Bachao Andolan to protect the interest of Odisha vis-à-vis Mahanadi water share.

“We have decided to intensify the voice of protest of Odisha by holding a dharna in front of Jantar Mantar in New Delhi from August 8 to 12. Around 200 activists will join the dharna,” said Agami Odisha convenor Sudarshan Das at a Press meet here on Sunday.

Das said, during protest period, a team of delegates would meet the party chiefs of different political parties and hold discussions on how injustice has been done to Odisha over the Mahanadi issue. A Satyagraha would also be held on August 9 in Delhi, he said.

“We have also requested Odisha MPs to raise the Mahanadi issue in the Parliament, discuss on the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act and enact an appropriate law to resolve the issue permanently.

The waterman of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad Singh, said the Chief Ministers of the both the States have given assurance to attend the national convention on “Drought Flood Free: River Resonation of India” to be held from August 16 in Bijapur in Karnataka in which a special session on Mahanadi issue would be held under the title “Mahanadi Sanshad”.

Odia people living in Delhi would participate in the protest. People of Odisha, intellectuals, political parties have assured to participate in the agitation, Das said.

Among others, Social activists lalit Mohan Patnaik, Nirod Khuntia, Prof Sisir Behera, Human Rights activist Manoj Jena, Odisha Nadi Surakshya Samukshya member Tapan Padhi, Basudev Bhatt, Dilip Sabat and Prasanna Bisoi were present.