Mahendratanaya project delay to reach HC doors

BERHAMPUR: Mahendratanaya Bachao Andolan (MBA) has decided to move the Orissa High Court over delay in construction of diversion weirs across Jalanga and Mahendratanaya rivers.
MBA coordinator Srikant Padhy alleged that the Odisha Government is shedding crocodile tears over development of irrigation potential of South Odisha. “After several missives to the State Government failed to yield any result, we have decided to knock the doors of the HC over the issue,” Padhy said.

As per reports, in order to provide irrigation facilities to 3,050 hectare (ha) in Rayagada, Gumma and Gosani blocks of Gajapati district, the Government had proposed to construct two diversion weirs in the upstream of Jalanga and Mahendratanaya at an estimated cost of `3757.22 lakh in 2008.
 The diversion weir on Jalanga was to be constructed near Champapur village to provide irrigation facility to an area of 2,040 ha on the right side of river  Mahendratanaya. Similarly, the weir on Mahendratanaya was to be constructed at Dambapur village to create 1,010 ha-irrigation potential on the left side besides supplying water to Paralakhemundi.

It has been around a decade since the foundation stones were laid but the projects are yet to see the light of the day, said Padhy. He informed that the Andhra Pradesh Government, in violation of the agreement with Odisha, had laid foundation stone for a project on Mahendratanaya in April 2008. The Odisha Government hastily  announced to construct two irrigation projects over the river and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stones in 2008.

While laying the foundation stones, the CM had announced that the projects will be completed within three years. But the survey and design started in 2010 and subsequently, the DPR of Dambapur was prepared and construction started.However, the project is yet to be completed due to callous attitude of Irrigation department, Padhy alleged. While the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Champapur is yet to be prepared, another project at Cheligada in the district is also lying incomplete, he alleged. On the other hand, crop production in Gajapati has reduced drastically during the last decade due to lack of irrigation facilities, Padhy claimed.

Expressing anguish over the delay, Padhy said during the last decade, Andhra Pradesh Government launched several irrigation projects most of which have been completed or are at final stages of completion. While farmers in Andhra Pradesh are receiving required irrigation facilities and their crop production capacity is on the rise, the fertile lands in Gajapati have turned barren due to want of water, he added.Mahendratanaya is a tributary of Bansadhara river and originates from Mahendragiri range of Gajapati. It flows through Rayagada, Gumma and Gosani before reaching the Bay of Bengal via AP.