JEYPORE: Tension prevailed in Nuagaon panchayat under Pottangi block of Koraput on Monday as villagers staged road blockade and prevented district officials from holding a gram sabha over lifting water from the local stream for use in Nalco plant at Damanjodi.
Residents of Badapadu, Nuagaon, Kakipadu, Galigabdar, Kartalamamadi, Medamgandi and nearby villages blocked the Badapadu ghat road, a key route connecting the block headquarters to the panchayat, and staged a dharna.
The agitators alleged that the administration is planning to construct a project to store water of Nuagaon stream and use it for mining operations of Nalco. Diverting water for industrial use would have a negative impact on the local community and the environment, they claimed.
To defuse the situation, Koraput sub-collector Prem Lal Hial, Pottangi block development officer (BDO) Ramakrishna Nayak and tehsildar Devendra Bahadur Singh Dharua reached the spot and held discussions with the villagers. However, the protesters refused to pay heed to the officials and continued their agitation.
Anticipating a possible law and order situation, the administration deployed seven platoons of police force in the area under the supervision of additional SP Sambit Mahanti and Sunabeda SDPO Sumitra Jena.
As the irate villagers refused to relent, the administration was forced to call off the proposed gram sabha meeting and the officers returned from Nuagaon empty-handed.
“The gram sabha could not be conducted due to the protest by villagers. The district collector has been informed about the development. The Pottangi BDO will fix another date for holding the gram sabha meeting,” said sub-collector Hial.