The most ambitious and pro-farmer river-linking project of Odisha is in a state of uncertainty owing to indecisiveness and indifferent attitude of the State Government.Rushikulya Banchao Manch president and BJP leader Rama Chandra Panda who spearheaded the river linking movement in the State since the Vajpayee Government at the Center in his memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on June 22 last urged him to personally review the Rushikulya-Mahanadi river linking project which has been lying undecided for over a decade.
The NWDA which is a specialized central agency entrusted with the task of making survey on river-link proposals for transfer of water from surplus basin to deficit basin and is working in Odisha for more than two decades has had submitted several draft feasibility reports in respect of Mahanadai-Brahmani (Rengali), Mahanadi-Rukshikulya,Vanshadhara-Rushikullya and Mahanadi-Brahmani rivers linking projects. Such river linking proposal which was initiated under NDA-I Government subsequently received overwhelming support from the farmers and public at large.
Panda said while millions of tons of water is passing into sea which otherwise could have been harvested and used by people, a recent announcement made by the State Water Resource Department that it will respond to the Central Government after studying a complete report is quite bewildering.
The scheme primarily aims to transfer surplus water of Mahanadi to river Rushikullya right at the first instance by a link canal which would benefit the farmers of three districts, namely, Nayagarh,Khordha and Ganjam, respectively. The apprehension that the Mahanadi water will be taken away to Godavari is quite misleading, he pointed out.
He said that the proposed link canal would be attached to regulate the structure at Barmul point which will be fully managed and controlled by the State Government.When the Prime Minister is keen for speedy execution of the National River Networking Projects in order to ensure rational and equitable distribution of water to every field, the State Government, instead of taking a fast decision, remains a non actor which is quite unfortunate, Panda pointed out. The State Government could have suggested additions and modifications in the scheme, he added.
Even the Supreme Court in its judgment on February 27, 2012 upheld the scheme as beneficial to the citizens of India and mandated in favor of implementation of networking of rivers. Since the draft has been prepared after several deliberations spread over years, any further delay in taking a decision at this juncture would prove suicidal for the scheme and not conducive for development, Panda stated.
According to survey report, the proposed river link project will have minimum submergence and any further extension of the canal from Rushikulya point to Godavari appears to be irrelevant at the moment as it would depend only upon the availability of water for further extension of the canal beyond Rushikulya. Hence, any apprehension about its fallouts or shortcomings is baseless, Panda said.