A special tribunal team appointed by the Supreme Court on the longstanding Vamsadhara water dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday began inspection in the catchment areas of the river in Sara village under Kashinagar block of Gajapati district.
Sources said the three-member team led by Justice Mukundam Sharma visited the site and inspected how the project would affect the areas in Odisha.
Team members, Gajapati district Collector Anupam Shah Odisha Water Resources Department Akshay Banerjee, former Water Resources Chief Engineer Arun Padhi, lawyers Radheshyam Behera , Mohan Jatari, who are conducting the case for Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Government officials, were present.
“The team had inspected the entire site in Andhra Pradesh yesterday but hasn’t given any response. Andhra Pradesh should take their share of water without causing any problem to us,” said former Chief Engineer of Odisha WR Department Padhi. He informed that on January 22 next, further discussions between the two sides would be held in Puri.
However, the locals said whatever might be the decision of the tribunal, they would not give any land for the project. If necessary they would embark on an agitation.
Notably, when the Andhra Pradesh Government had proposed to divert the river water from Katragadda to Hiramandalam reservoir under Bansadhara Project-II some years ago, Odisha Government had strongly opposed the move. But Andhra Pradesh did not pay heed to the protests and carried on construction on a war-footing.