When the exchange of words in self-defence between BJD and BJP is at the peak, the farming community of western Odisha feels insecure as the food bowl of the State is poised to face a grim peril owing to a water crisis to be stoked by indiscriminate construction of dams and barrages in the upstream of river Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh part.
The Hirakud command area mainly depends on water from the Hirakud reservoir spreading across a sprawling area of 935 sqkm both during the Kharif and Ravi seasons for irrigation. But after upstream restrictions by the Chhattisgarh Government violating the law of the land and also a number of commission’s reports, the same facility may not be available to the farmers.
“Hence, it is time for both State units of BJD and BJP to work together rather than giving statements against each other,” suggested G Suryanarayn, a leading farmer of Gourtikra village in Bargarh district coming under the Hirakud command area.
“Political statements by BJD or BJP will not solve any problem but ought to give them some benefits during vote. But if the ruling party in the State will not be careful, it is farmers of the State who will bear the brunt,” warned the octogenarian farmer having contribution for agricultural development in the region for the last five decades.
Similarly, Ramsagar Sahu, another leading farmer under the Sasan canal system, sees a bleak future of the farmers just after completion of the projects in Chhattisgarh State. Sahu suggested working for the State rather than doing politics at the critical juncture involving the life and livelihood of crores of farmers of the State.
There are many people who are also of similar opinion. Bijay Behera, a businessman cum environmentalist, warned the leaders in BJP not to compromise with the State’s interest for simple individual benefit from the party high command. Similarly, he suggested the BJD to take up the matter in the right forum so that Mahanadi will not be just a dry stream in the non-monsoon seasons.
And finally, it is industries and industrial workers who have also started feeling insecure for future water scarcity in Hirakud reservoir and Mahanadi river at the downstream, though they didn’t come openly for any comment.