Demands SIT probe by sitting HC judge
Samajwadi Party State president Rabi Behera on Thursday alleged that the current floods in the Mahanadi system are sponsored by the State Government to divert the attention of people from the mining scam, the ongoing CBI raid on a ruling BJD MlA and MP involved in chit fund scam and house and land allotment scam.
Dubbing the flood as manmade, Behera demanded a SIT (special investigation team) probe by a sitting High Court judge within a timeframe in order to punish the culprits involved in the conspiracy.
Though the Hirakud Water Management Curved Rule says there should be 590 ft to 600 ft water stored in the reservoir between July 1 and August 1, Behera alleged that the Hirakud Dam authorities stored 623.06 ft water violating the rule. When continuous rains lashed the State from August 2 to August 5, the dam authorities were forced to open 50 gates creating floods in 13 districts in the Mahanadi delta.
Behera said the Water Resources Department had no coordination with the Chhattisgarh Government for monitoring of rainwater in the upper catchment of the Mahanadi. When the rains started and the low pressure moved to Chhattisgarh, the Hirakud authorities had no option but to open as many as 50 gates, he said.