The Odisha Krushak Mahasangh on Friday said the State Government’s plan to develop the National Waterway-5’s Brahmani stretch from Talcher to Paradip would be a futile exercise as the water flow in the river has decreased drastically over the years.
“Water flow in all the rivers of Odisha has decreased by 70 per cent in the last 20 years. This is evident from the fact that ferrying of boats have stopped in ninety per cent of river ghats. This being the backdrop, the plan to develop a stretch of waterway is not possible,” said Mahasangh President Bibhudhandra Pratap Das.
Stating that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik once informed the State Assembly that the State Government had no knowledge regarding decrease in flow of water in the rivers of the State, Das wanted to know how the State Government made the plan to develop the waterway stretch of river Brahmani.
Das further said that huge farm land would be inundated and a large number of people would be displaced if five barrages are constructed over the river for the waterway purpose.
“Due to barrages, 45 per cent of Hirakud water reservoir has been filled in alluvial soil and sand. If five barrages are constructed of Brahmani, they would not last for long,” Das said, alleging that “the plan has been made to bungle the public money only.”
He informed that 80 per cent of streams have stopped flowing into the rivers as trees have been cut from hills and upper catchment areas of the rivers. Mining activities taken up in forest and hill areas are mainly responsible for this.
He cited that Kandra canal and Suna river passing through Joda town have been dried up due to mining of iron ore. Keonjhar DFO has written a letter to the owners of the Tata, OMC and RB Das mines in this regard, he said.
Das suggested that the Government enact a stringent law to take up create forests on all hills so that the rivers would get water in future.