BHUBANESWAR: The silence of the government, civil society and political parties over the ongoing Mahanadi water crisis could lead to a chaotic situation, warned renowned river rejuvenator and ‘Waterman of India’ Rajendra Singh on Saturday.
Speaking to media persons here, Singh said Mahanadi at present is undergoing an extreme crisis. The river bed is drying up in a non-monsoon period, while causing heavy floods during rainy days. Irrigation has been severely affected, while many fishermen who live by fishing from the river, have already lost their livelihood. “The state government needs to take steps immediately to protect the river within Odisha,” he said.
The environmentalist said relying only on the tribunal to solve the problem and crisis of the river may not work. “The door for dialogues between the two states - Odisha and Chhattisgarh - should not be closed. The Chief Ministers of the two states should continue their efforts to resolve the dispute,” Singh said.
He also pointed out pollution of the river in the present day and stressed that government must take measures to prevent sand and clay mafias from forcibly occupying the river land.