BERHAMPUR: Normal life came to a standstill in Rayagada’s Gunupur on Friday as people from all walks of life supported the bandh call to protest the construction of Neradi barrage on Vamsadhara river by Andhra Pradesh. The bandh call, given by Vamsadhara Basin Surakhya Committee, saw spontaneous participation of Gunupur residents who are likely to bear the brunt of Andhra Pradesh’s project on the river.
Last month, the Vamsadhara Water Dispute Tribunal (VWDT) had given a green signal to Andhra Pradesh to go ahead with the construction of Neradi barrage. The Odisha government, however, rejected a request from Andhra Pradesh for consent to notify the final award of the tribunal in the official gazette on the grounds that a Special Leave Petition is pending before the Supreme Court in this matter.
Since the barrage would submerge vast tracts of cultivable land and deprive water for irrigation in Odisha, residents of Rayagada and Gajapati districts have renewed their protest. Led by convener Mili Padhy and president Bramhananda Patnaik, the committee members held street corner meetings at various places across the town. The agitators alleged that due to the Odisha government’s callous attitude, the people of Gunupur are unable to use Vamsadhara water for irrigation purposes. Besides, frequent floods in the river cause immense problems for locals.
Former MLA Ram Murty Gamang said Gunupur residents have been sandwiched in the Vamsadhara river dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh for around five decades. He alleged that the political parties of Odisha lack the intent to solve the dispute. On the day, Gunupur residents living in Hyderabad also participated in the agitation by holding placards in support of the bandh call.
Criticising the Odisha government for failing to construct irrigation projects in the State, they said the verdict of VWDT to equally share the river water was not acceptable as Vamsadhara originates from Odisha and 80 per cent of the river’s length is in the state, they said.
In a bid to use the water of Vamsadhara flowing in its side, the AP govt had proposed to construct Gotta and Neradi barrages on the river. While Gotta barrage was completed in 1977, Neradi was halted after Odisha raised objections to it.
In 2005, Odisha government had announced to construct a barrage at Panidangar in Rayagada but the project could not take off. Originating from Odisha’s Kalahandi, Vamsadhara meets the Bay of Bengal at Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. Of the total 265 km stretch of the river, 154 km is in Odisha, 29 km forms the border between the two riverine states and the rest 82 km flow in Andhra Pradesh.