Kendrapara/Rajkanika: The mega water project proposed to draw water from Kharasrota river in Kendrapara district faced strong opposition from locals Sunday.
Hundreds of women under the banner of Kharasrota Banchao Sangram Samiti (KBSS) observed ‘Jal Satyagraha’ in the river at Bharigada village under Rajkanika block Sunday.
The project is being built at Barunadiha in Bhadrak to provide safe drinking water to 91 panchayats under Basudevpur, Thidhi, Dhamnagar and Chandbali blocks. A sum of Rs 892 crore will be spent on the project.
The women plunged into the water of the river while opposing the government bid to divert the water from Kharasrota.
The protesters demanded that the government should initiate steps for construction of a project in the lower catchment of the river for supply of drinking water in Aul and Rajkanika before taking up the project for diversion of water from the river.
The agitators said, “We will do everything to save our river. If required, we will not hesitate to sacrifice our lives. Kharasrota is the lifeline of our locality. We will not allow any attempts to dry up the river.”
If water is extracted for the mega pipe water project, the flow of water would decrease while sea water will flow into the river. It will cause severe damage to the biodiversity of Bhitarkanika, hamper agriculture and lead to acute water scarcity in the Aul and Rajkanika blocks, the locals alleged.
Notably, over 2,000 people forming a two-km human chain protested the mega project.
PNN
