BHUBANESWAR: The departmentally related Assembly standing committee on Water Resources department has directed the state government to conduct a comprehensive scientific study on the likely impact of Andhra Pradesh’s proposed Neradi barrage on Odisha before proceeding with land acquisition and handing over land to the neighbouring state.
The committee which met here on Monday under the chairmanship of senior BJD MLA and former minister Ranendra Pratap Swain expressed concern over the possible impact of the project on agriculture, land, water rights, environment and the livelihood of people in the affected areas of Gajapati district. It sought a detailed response from the Water Resources department on the issue.
The Vansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal, in its March 30, 2026 order while permitting Andhra Pradesh to construct the Neradi barrage had also directed Odisha to acquire 106 acre land in the state and hand it over to Andhra Pradesh which will bear the compensation, charges and other expenses related to the acquisition.
According to information submitted by the department, areas such as Sara, Badigam and Palasingi in Gajapati district are likely to be affected. No formal proposal for land acquisition for the barrage has so far been received from the Gajapati collector, the department informed the committee.
Sources in the committee said that a meeting chaired by the Gajapati collector on September 8 had decided to conduct a detailed impact assessment covering the project’s likely impact, potential benefits to the state and local people, land, environmental and social costs and drinking water arrangements.
A joint verification has subsequently been initiated involving officials of Kashinagar tehsil and the Ganjam investigation division to identify the 106 acre.
The committee also expressed concern that construction of the barrage could increase backwater, waterlogging and flood risks in the Vansadhara basin, particularly affecting agriculture, land and livelihoods in Odisha. In view of the recent flood situation in southern Odisha, it directed the Water Resources department to properly assess these risks.
The committee has further asked the departments concerned to place before it the complete project design and plan, a separate technical study on possible waterlogging, maps of the affected areas, the environmental impact assessment report and details of safeguards for protecting Odisha’s water rights before any land is acquired or transferred.
