A Class X girl of Sambalpur Amrita Patel has written a letter to PM Narendra Modi to resolve the Mahanadi problem as early as possible. At the outset, she writes : “I want to make an earnest appeal to you to save the river Mahanadi before it is too late.”
She further writes that Mahanadi is not just a river but the lifeline for crores of people of Odisha and the people here treat it as their ‘mother.’ She has also narrated the utility of the river and its water in day-to-day lives of the people, including its historical importance.
In the letter, she also mentions her childhood memories when she went with her mother to the river bank and enjoyed its scenic beauty and the musical sound of the flowing water.
“But today I am deeply pained to see Mahanadi as a crying mother. With very scant water left, it is now looking like a desert instead of a river,” writes Amrita.
“After seeing the river now, I feel as if my mother is crying for help and it is you and only you who can do it,” she appealed.
She further writes that she is too small to understand politics. But it is further a fact that Mahanadi is dying with each passing day.
“And if it is not saved today, it will die for ever and with it the hopes of lakhs of people for whom Mahanadi is the source of life will die,” she mentioned.
She further appealed the PM to rejuvenate Mahanadi so that she can enjoy the resonant sound of the flowing water and revive her childhood memories.