Two barrages constructed over the Bansadhara river by the Andhra Pradesh Government at Katragada and Naredi have forced people of Gajapati and Rayagada districts to spend sleepless nights as the water flow in the river has become very less.

The Bansadhara river, one of the six major rivers of Odisha and lifeline of Kasingar block of Gajapati district and Gunpur block of Rayagada district, originates from the Durgakangar hills (lingaraj hills) of the eastern ghats in Koraput district. The 230-km-long river runs 150 km in Odisha and 80 km in Andhra Pradesh before merging into the Bay of Bengal at Kalingapatnam in the neighbouring State. Its catchments area is spread over 1,400 sq km in Orissa and 300 sq km in Andhra Pradesh.

The special tribunal on the Bansadhara water dispute granted a go-ahead to the Andhra Pradesh Government for construction of two barrages on the river near Katragada and Naredi.

By constructing barrages, Andhra Pradesh is looting the Odisha water for its famers where as the Odisha Government has remained a spectator only.

The farmers of Gajapati and Gunpur are facing a huge shortage of water because the river water is flowing away and stored at the barrages constructed in Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier, farmers of Kasinagar block were undertaking cultivation twice in a year growing paddy, sugarcane, cotton, vegetables etc. However, they are not able to do dual farming due to shortage of water in the Bansadhara.

Farmers have now threatened to take to the streets if the Odisha Government doesn’t take necessary steps to protect Bansadhara water in their interest at the earliest.