The fear of water crisis in Sundargarh and Jharsuguda districts due to proposed barrage construction on the Ib river by the Chhattisgarh Government further deepened as news of another hydro power project over the river at Gullu of Chhattisgarh spread.
Sources said a 24-MW hydropower project at Gullu has been proposed to be constructed by Chhatisgarh on the Ib river. The project at Gullu is about 124 KM away from Sundargarh headquarters town. The project under Jaspur district has got all necessary clearances.
The project, according to information available in the google site, was conceptualized in 2007 but was delayed due to protest of locals as they had feared several villages would be submerged due to the project. The construction work, however, at present is in full swing now.
According to sources, the IB river is the lifeline of Sundargarh and Jharsuguda and any barrage or hydro power project on the river upstream will cause drinking water and irrigation problem in the two districts.
Sources said Chhattisgarh also plans to construct a barrage on the IB river at Kacheibira under Sumduma panchayat in Chhattisgarh, about 30 km from Sundargarh border.
According to sources, if the barrage is constructed there, the farmers in Chhatisgarh will get enough water for cultivation, while the residents and farmers of Sundargarh and Jharsuguda will face water crisis. The proposed barrage will affect more than 118 villages in Sundargarh district alone.
The Ib river starting from Kunkuri at Chhatisgarh passes through Sundargarh and joins with Bheden river at lakhanpur under Jharsuguda district before falling in to the Hirakud reservoir. The 70- km Ib river, starting from upper portion of Telijore in Sundargarh to lower part of Bhasma in Sundargarh, has been providing drinking water to Sundargarh town and water for cultivation in the district. But the Odisha Government has not yet constructed any barrage on the Ib river.
Adding further woes, since the construction work of the project at Gullu is in progress, the residents of Sundargarh have expressed their concern over the issue, claiming that this will further affect the water flow of Ib river, which has been the lifeline for thousands of farmers of Sundargarh and Jharsuguda district. A delegation of Sundargarh Nagarika Committee had recently visited the proposed barrage construction site on Ib river at Shanko under Sumudhuma panachayat of Chhatisgarh and expressed their concern over the development.
“We had visited the proposed barrage construction site and expressed our concern since it will lead to water crisis for our district. We are further concerned after knowing about construction of hydro power project on the Ib river at Gulu,” said Sundargarh Nagarika Committee president BM Tripathy, adding, “We demand immediate intervention of state government over this matter.”
Meanwhile, Sundargarh Congress MlA Jogesh Kumar Singh warned of halting coal supply from MCl, Sundargarh to Chhatisgarh will be stopped if the barrage work is not stopped.
Significantly, approximately 6 MT coal per month is supplied from MCl, Sundargarh to different units in Raigarh, Bilaspur and Raipur in Chhattisgarh.