Nuapada: Preparations are in full swing for the inauguration of the long-awaited Lower Indra project in Nuapada district. The district administration has been on its toes to complete all necessary arrangements well before March 10 when it will be commissioned.
According to reports, many issues of the people displaced and affected by the project have not been resolved till date. Meanwhile, the administration has started talks with displaced and affected people about their problems.
The administration held talks with project-affected people Thursday in the presence of Collector Swadha Dev Singh.
The displaced and the project-affected people, however, made it clear to the district administration and people’s representatives that their problems and demands should be resolved before any step is taken for the inauguration of the irrigation project.
Nuapada MLA Rajendra Dholakia, Kharial MLA Adhiraj Panigrahy, chief engineer of the Lower Indra Irrigation project Bibhuti Bhusan Das were at the meeting and heard their multiple issues related to compensation and rehabilitation.
At the meeting, the Collector observed, “The administration and the government should be given ample time to sort out all issues of the project affected people. All should have faith in the administration and let the project be inaugurated. All issues of the oustees and the affected people will be definitely resolved.”
It was learnt that 2937 families have been displaced by the project. “The government has announced compensation of Rs 50,000 for each family. Before inaugurating the project, the government should think of paying Rs 2 lakh as compensation. The water resources department should assess total land affected by the project and pay compensation accordingly,” they added.
They also said that the norms or facilities being applied for the complete submergence-prone villages should be applied for partially submergence-prone villages.
Besides, the government should put in place all basic facilities at the relocated villages well before the inauguration of the project, they stated. “If the government hurriedly goes in for inaugurating the project, we will be bund to agitate against it,” oustees warned.
The project-affected people and oustees have been pressing for their various demands under the banner of Lower Indra Jana Sachetan Manch and Bistapita Sahayata Samiti.
The affected people were accompanied by their leaders like Nilakanth Pradhan, Kishore Chndra Kathar, Nityananda Pradhan, Jadumani Panigrahi and Amaresh Patnaik
Notably, the Lower Indra Irrigation project assumes much importance for the people of Nuapada, a drought-prone district. As agriculture is affected by lack of irrigation, the district has been witnessing labour migrations.
To ward off frequent drought situations, the government has constructed Lower Indra dam.
This irrigation facility will provide irrigation to 29,900 hectares in Khariar and Boden blocks of Nuapada district and Bangomunda, Muribahal and Titlagarh blocks of Bolangir district.
Its construction began in 1997 and was completed in 2019 due to slow pace of work.
PNN
