Brahmani crisis: Jal Biradari holds river Aarati in Jajpur

The Rastriya Jal Biradari, Odisha Branch has conducted a river Aarati to rejuvenate drying Brahmani in a stretch from Jenapur to Bari block’s Kaipada in Jajpur district.

Hundreds of women have been offering diyas en masse to the river goddess once a week for the last eight months. They use that much coconut oil which they would have used that day. Hence, they don’t spend any extra money for conducting nadi aradhana (river prayer).

Poetess Bharati Dash, the Delhi Centre for Science and Indian Philosophy’ Prabhu Narayan, Biradari State unit convenor Manas Ranjan Mishra, Rabindra Nath Mohapatra, Bhanumati Pradhan, Santilata Ghadei, Jayanti Pradhan, Satyabhama Pradhan, Kalyani Jena, Nayana Behera, Vishnu Charan Ghadei, Kanak Behera, Reena Behera, Alaka Behera, Manasmita Dash, Jyotsna Bhuyan, Raghunath Ghadei, Neta Behera, Akanshya Dash and many others participated in the movement.

They demanded for commissioning of the CWPRS (Central Water and Power Research Station) East Half of India branch and formation of Ganga Sansad as well. People in all 17 GPs in Bari block were sensitised by Su Dash and Mishra along with members of the BUDP and other NGOs.

A manmade British structure in the river is understood as a cause for the crisis while rivers Kharashota and Kelua are well off with water. While Kharashota is commissioned to be inland waterway and Kelua connects the Brahmani system with the Mahanadi system. The Brahmani is being exploited with heavy industries and mining right from Rourkela up to Kalinganagar.

While Rengali dam and Samal barrage hold back major share during lean season, Brahmani in crisis stretch is getting deposits of vast sand dunes due to no impetus in river flow. Hence, surgical dredging of river bed and making of multiple small dams are needed to harvest water in these sand dunes.

While the State Government is busy blaming neighbouring States, it seems that nobody is concerned with forming a River Basin Authority to manage the flow dynamically. Thus, villagers recited verses of Adi Shankaracharya to appease the river goddess, said Mishra.

The economy of locals is dwindling as crops harvest is decreasing due to lack of water. Youths are being forced to go out of State to work as bonded labourers. Even industrial effluents pollute water to a stretch of 35 km downstream.

Notably, waterman Rajendra Singh Akshaya Bharat, Kulamani Sukla and Prafulla Dash have visited the area, among others.