Padampur: The public anger over the proposed Anga river bridge project and construction of a mega irrigation dam at Pujharipali in this sub-division took a new form as 16 villagers sat in a protest before the district collectorate sinceMonday.
Five of the agitators were removed Tuesday to the sub-divisional hospital after their health condition deteriorated. The five were Gangadhar Gadatia, Dolamani Sahu, Akshay Sahu, Kunja Sagaria and Premraj Sahu. Padampur IIC Priyanka Routroy along with a police team tried to pacify the crowd of protesters. Sub-divisional officer N Sharma also went and checked on the health condition of the protesters.
Villagers who are likely to be displaced wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind last Saturday, pleading for euthanasia-induced death for them, rather than being displaced. Hundreds of farmers headed for the Bargarh head post office and posted their letters addressed to the President.
It was after repeatedly changing the site for the proposed irrigation project, in the last three decades, that the state government finally zeroed in on Pujharipali.
“The project is estimated to displace 30,000 people of 6,228 families in 32 mouzas. Over 11 mouzas will be completely submerged while 21 villages partially affected. All the villagers will have to lose their homestead and farmlands,” activists said.
A total of 3912.67 hectares of private land, 212.35 hectares of forest land and 974.98 hectares of other land will be submerged along with the minerals underneath, as per an assessment.