Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik on Friday blamed the BJD and the BJP for the recent flood situation in the Mahanadi.
“In summer, the Mahanadi remained total dry and, now, the villages along the river are submerged. Nepotism of BJD and BJP has pushed the State into dark and they have worked against the interest of the common people,” said Patnaik
When the BJP Government of Chhattisgarh was constructing dams and barrages, the BJD Government here knew everything but remained silent.
The BJD and the BJP became active only when people got to know the truth behind, he alleged.
“Chhattisgarh has tried its best in summer not to let a drop of water flow down to Odisha. The State closed all the gates and waited till high flood. They opened gates when heavy rains occurred in the Mahanadi upper catchment. This compelled Hirakud dam authority to open 25 gates at a time. This has created flood situation in the downstream,” argued Patnaik.
Now, many villages on the Mahanadi bank have been submerged. At many places, floodwater is flowing on bridges and roads, disrupting communication. “The BJD and the BJP are responsible for this situation and there is no coordination between Odisha and Chhattisgarh for water management,” alleged the PCC Chief.
He too alleged that the Chhattisgarh Government is not abiding by norms of the Central Water Commission (CWC).