Kendrapara: A fresh controversy has erupted over the Rs 892 crore Kharasrota mega drinking water project after an RTI query revealed that no land has been acquired by the state government for the mega drinking water project on Kharasrota River near Barunadiha village of Kendrapara.
Irate over the RTI, local residents alleged that the information has exposed the adamant attitude of the government officials towards forcible execution of the disputed project, despite vehement opposition by the locals and in apparent violation of prescribed guidelines.
According to a source, the information was recently provided by the district collectorate in response to an application filed by RTI activist named Pratap Chandra Mohanty. Land acquisition for the project has not been carried out yet, the source said.
“Land for the mega drinking water project on Kharasrota River under Rajkanika tehsil of Kendrapara district and under Chandbali tehsil of Bhadrak district has not been acquired yet by the undersigned land acquisition officer (LAO). Hence, the sought information could not be provided,” the official communique given for RTI application read.
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However, the government had earlier claimed that it has carried out an environmental and social impact study for the mega project.
“I had filed an RTI application seeking information from IIT-Hyderabad. The institute clearly informed that Megha Engineers & Infrastructure Limited (executing agency of the project) carried out the EIA study and submitted a 122-page report. IIT-Hyderabad only vetted the report, which means made the corrections,” the RTI activist and convener of Kendrapara Zilla Suchana Adhikar Abhiyan (KZSAA) stated.
On being contacted, Kendrapara Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) executive engineer Basant Nayak expressed his ignorance over the issue pertaining to land acquisition for the mega project. Reacting to the issue, the legislator of Aul Pratap Keshari Deb said no land acquisition is required for the drinking water project.
“This is not a big industry which requires 50 to 100 acres of land. A maximum of three acres of land was enough for the under-construction project to supply pure drinking water to the local households,” Deb added.
It is pertinent to mention, the state government had previously said in response to another RTI application that the (Environmental Impact Assessment) EIA study for execution of the drinking water project was carried out by Megha Engineers & Infrastructure Ltd, Hyderabad.
Subsequently, the state government’s claim was refuted by Professor Shashidhar of IIT-Hyderabad. He clarified in his statement that the government did not, at all, request the IIT for any EIA study.
Ownership of a 70 decimal land where the project is being constructed has been recorded in the name of Kharasrota mega drinking water project and a man named Sheikh Hussein Basa is the trustee.
A signage put up at the project site reads that the project is targeted to supply drinking water to 91 saline affected panchayats of Chandbali, Tihidi, Basudevpur and Dhamnagar blocks of Bhadrak district.
Tender process for the mega project was completed two years ago. Construction work was started by Kendrapara administration despite protest from the Kharasrota Banchao Sangram Samiti. The local outfit alleged that the project would create water shortage in the area.
Owner of a private company (which has been awarded the contract) has bought a patch of land at Barunadiha village and is executing the project. Government has not acquired any land for the purpose.
PNN
