Expressing deep concern over tardy progress in the Dambapur and Champapur barrage projects over river Mahendratanaya, Rashtriya Odia Yuvak Pratisthan chief Shrikatn Tripathy on Saturday said he would begin a fast-unto-death agitation again if the State Government doesn’t take any step to expedite construction works by September 10.
“The Andhra Pradesh Government inaugurated the Meliaput barrage over the Mahendratanya in July 2012. For this project, 30 villages, 8,000 families and 1,100 hectares of cultivable land of Gajapati distrit are going to suffer sheer water scarcity. But our Dambapur and Champapur projects, for which Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid foundation stone in April 2008, are yet to be constructed. If the State Government doesn’t take any step to expedite construction of these projects by September 10, we would be forced to resort to fast-unto-death agitation again,” said Tripathy in a statement.
He lamented that despite the Water Resources Department submitted an affidavit before the Odisha High Court to complete the project by end of 2013, only 30 per cent of Dambapur project work has been done and the Champapur project is yet to begin.
“While the Andhra Pradesh Government has constructed the Meliaput project without permission of Central Water Commission, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is in deep slumber. He should approach the Odisha High Court against the Andhra project soon,” demanded Tripathy.