While the Odisha Government is facing a tough time over Chhattisgarh’s construction of barrages over the Mahanadi, The Union Government’s move to go ahead with Mahanadi-Godavari linking by transferring water from river Brahmaputra is likely to pose a greater problem for Odisha.
The Odisha Government is in the dark over the proposed transfer of Himalayan water to the Mahanadi and for its transfer down below up to the Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery, sources in the State’s Department of Water Resources admit.
In fact, Water Resources Principal Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena has objected such a move and pointed out to the Government of India that the State is not aware of the proposal of transfer of Himalayan river water to the Mahanadi basin for downward transfer to the southern rivers.
The Odisha Government is opposing interlinking of Mahanadi and Godavari from the inception as there is hardly any surplus water in the Mahanadi.
Jena at the recently-held National Water Development Agency (NWDA) meeting expressed apprehension over the issue. He pointed out that the State Government is kept in dark over the matter.
The National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) has proposed such a move. Sources said M Gopalkrishnan, former Coordinator of Inter linking Water Taskforce, revealed that even if the Mahanadi basin would not be surplus, this link would be getting water from the Brahmaputra, a part of Himalayan component, for its transfer down up to Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery.
NWDA sources said hydrological studies and multi reservoir simulation for the proposed Mahanadi-Godavari link has been revised by the NIH along with the observations of the Odisha Government and the study would be further modified.
“We do not believe that the project can materialise as the Centre’s reports are mostly based on assumptions than the reality at the ground level. We do not see a positive response from the people at large,” feel experts and senior officials of the Department of Water Resources.
Why is Odisha unable to accept the proposalIJ
(a) If the proposal is implemented, it would lead to large-scale displacement. About 45,000 acre of land would be submerged. When the Hirakud project-displaced persons have not been properly rehabilitated, how can one expect the Centre to address this large-scale displacement nowIJ
(b) Up-to-date data are not being utilised for preparation of a systems study.
(c) loss on account of external negativities like loss of forest cover and ecology.
(d) Odisha wants that the proposed project be declared a National Project so that there would be no shortage of funds. The Centre cannot stop funding the project with change of Government and change of its mind at any point of time during the execution.
The Odisha Government is of the opinion that it may be difficult to handle the huge displacement issue for the proposed river linking project, which would lead to a law and order situation.