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After almost a six-months hiatus, we are again back with this Eighth issue in this new format. It covers the
water ‘News Summarizations’ from 5 major Odia Dailies and one English daily for the month of September
2010. We seek your comments in improving the usability and relevance of Water Feeder. You are also
requested to send us Water News, worries and conflicts from your areas which are not getting reported and
reflected in Media. Please send your response to baitarani@gmail.com)
Odisha’s tryst with water-agonies either due to less-water or from excess-water is perennial.
Many a times, both these extremes strike at the same time, though at different places. This
A Monthly Dose of Odia Water News
unfortunate coincidence was also evident in this month, with drought spelling doom in more
than 15 districts, while rain-linked cholera and diarrhea hitting a not-so prepared administra-
tion in KBK districts once again, taking heavy tolls. Started with Hirakud few years back and
that around the Brahmani over past months, the debates and protests over water allocation
priorities between industry and agriculture (and livelihoods and environmental flow) from
state’s rivers, snowballed to a movement around the Mahanadi, with overwhelming political
alignments around allocation to POSCO.
While during the first half of the month, drought situations and predictions for different dis-
tricts of the state dominated the water-news in different vernacular news papers of Odisha,
in the second half unfortunate deaths due to water contamination in Rayagada and Kalahandi
took over the headlines. News related to water conflicts around Polavaram as an inter-state
dispute and over water allocation to POSCO also continued to draw media attention with
overwhelming political alignments on both of them. Pollution of river waters from untreated
Water Feeder -
effluents industries as well as due to breaches in ash ponds also hogged the news paper
pages, albeit with less than desired attention.
Mar,10 Posco 5
THE KHABAR
April, 10 Uncertain Weather 5
Page 2 WATER FEEDER - A MONTHLY DOSE OF ODIA WATER NEWS
Polavaram
Polavaram and Vedanta news and they will not only lose their 1. Call all party meeting on
dominated the headlines for house also lose their liveli- Polavaram—B J Y M- (The
Godavari: The New
about 15 days in this month. hoods. Apart from the above New Indian Express, 10th Sept,
Narmada? Polavaram project is proposed loss, the polavaram project will 2010)
Will Polavaram be to be constructed over the Go- destroy many types of medici-
davari River with an estimation nal plants, herbs, which will be 2. Five political parties or-
another ecocide ganized Dharana before the
of RS 17,300 corers. The po- extinct forever. The most
zone? lavaram issue is slowly leading a popular Papi konda sanctuary ‘Raj Bhawan’ to protest against
face-off between Orissa and will also submerge into the the Polavaram Project. (The
* 80 TMC of water diverted Andhra Pradesh. Construction water and it will lose its exis- Samaj, The Pragatibadi, The
to river Krishna. Water of the project will lead to sub- tence. Khabar, The Sambad, and The
supply to Visakhapatnam. mergence of total 2912.38 ha of New Indian Express on 23rd
Now Orissa Govt. has filed a Sept, 2010.)
Drinking water to 540 land including 102.16 ha of writ petition before the
villages. forest land in Orissa. Scheduled Hon’ble Supreme Court with a 3. Polavaram will invite Envi-
* Will irrigate 2.91 lakh tribes such as Koya and prayer not to allow the Andhra ronmental problems. (The
hectares. Power generation:
Kandha will be displaced losing Pradesh to construct the pro- Khabar, 20th Sept, 2010.)
their farm land, house and live- posed dam violating the envi-
960 MW
lihood forever. Near about 25 4. Orissa will be badly af-
* Full reservoir Level: 151 ronmental rules and regula-
villages of Orissa will be sub- fected by Polavaram project.
tions. The matter is subjudice
feet, total cost: about Rs
merged. Not only will Orissa (The Khabar, 15th Sept, 2010)
17,800 crore
before the Hon’ble Supreme
lose the land for the project, Court. In this regard, we have Polavaram project is not pro-
* Clearance from MoEF in but the Andhra Pradesh and ject but a national disaster.
closely observed the different
July 2010 Chatisgada will also lose their news items and collected the (The Pragatibadi, 15th Sept,
* Environmentalists and land and forest. Including the news from the different print 2010)
rights activists say the dam A.P., the total number of dis- media. Some important news
could inundate parts of AP, placed family would be 16,207 items of this month are placed
Orissa and Chhattisgarh, for better appreciation:-
swamp 280 villages. It will
displace two lakh people,
mostly tribals.
Flood
Although the Hirakud dam lower catchments is not that embankment in some parts.
reservoir reached its peak, but alarming as reported in the The rest part of the state was
the flood situation of Hirakud New Indian Expresson 21st, under control and no untoward
Flood 2009 dam was under control. There Sept, 2010. However, in the flood situation was marked
was no flood threat during the Balasore district, the Budha- over the state.
No. of dis- 15 period of torrential rain. This balang swelled, touched the
tricts af- year, Rainfall in the upper and danger point and crossed the
No. of vil- 1451
lages af-
Season’s 1st Flood Water release
from Hirakud on 28th July 2010
No. of hu- 56
man lives
Crop Area 1.29 lakh
affected hectare
No. of 12547
houses (Fully – 870,
damaged partially –
No. of boats 90
deployed for
evacuation
No. of relief 80
camps
opened
No. of per- 64346
sons accom-
camps
modated in
relief
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 8 Page 5
POSCO
The state Govt. had signed the politicians and others. M.L.A of Balikuda Mr. Umesh
Mou with POSCO to draw ch. Swain is opposing the Han-
water from the river Mahanadi sua project. He opines that
at Jobra barrage for industrial Different groups are voicing Hansua River is not a perennial
activities. The preliminary sur- their concerns and views river. With water drawn from
vey was made and it was pro- against and in support of the this river, the farmers of Ja-
posed by the state Govt.to sup- proposal. Some of them have gastsingpur district, who de-
POSCO Politics ply the water through a pipe raised their concern about pos- pends on this, will face water
• Sep25: Orissa Govt line to the industry directly sible submergence at Balikuda, shortage. (The Khabar, &The
from Jobra barrage. But due to Erasama, and Tirtol due to Dharitri on 30th Sept, 2010)
asks Posco to
massive protest by political construction of the barrage.
consider alternative parties, civil society and com- Some said that the river Han-
water source mon mass, the state Govt. has sua will bring happiness for the Hansua water to posco: -
• Sep26: Locals oppose decided not to draw water from farmers of Jagatsingpur district Farmers say “no thanks”.
Mahanadi at Jobra. Now the as they are going to construct Farmers use the water of the
plan to draw water barrage on the River. The sur-
state Govt. has proposed to channel through lift irrigation
from Haunsua river take water from Hansua River plus water draining to the sea process but after supply of
for Posco for Posco project by construct- will be better utilized by the water to posco, the base of the
ing a barrage between Balia- industry and there is a possibil- river will go dry. Reported in
• Sept 27 :POSCO war
mada and Nagari. This is now ity of creation of additional The New Indian Express on
zone - Farmers being opposed by local farmers, irrigation potential. The former 29th Sept, 2010.
oppose plan to supply
Hansua water Uncertain Weather
The weather report of this of Bengal, which lead to torren- situation in River Mahanadi
month was very uneven. The tial rain continues up to three
and its branch rivers.
first half or this month passed days. The low depression accel-
without any rain. Due to want erates the rainfall over the large
of timely rain, most or the dis- parts of the state. The torrential
tricts are now affected by rainfall almost created flood
drought. The paddy crops are
almost damaged in 15 districts.
However, in the second half,
there were depressions in Bay
• SANDRP on Polavaram : 2 September 2010, Himanshu Thakkar writes to Jairam Ramesh to revisit the project and look for better options in
achieving the irrigation and water supply in project areas. He urges him to cancel the flawed Environment clearance of Oct 25, 2005 and the
forest clearances of Dec 26, 2008 and July 28, 2010.
• Final approval for Polavaram project erroneous: Orissa: 5 September 2010, Deliberate act to render suit infructuous, The Orissa
government moved the Supreme Court on Saturday seeking a stay on the final approval granted by the Union Environment and Forests Ministry
for the Indira Sagar (Polavaram) Project in Andhra Pradesh, and a direction for status quo.
• Students stage street play against Orissa dam project : 8 September 2010 (ANI): Students of a college here, staged a street play to
protest the rupees 100 billion-Polavaram Indira Sagar dam project on River Godavari.
• Godavari: The New Narmada? 8 September 2010 ,Will Polavaram be another ecocide zone? Not if we apply the Vedanta logic to it.
• Polavaram issue at bAiThak kHanA : 11 September 2010, The bAiThaK kHanA of Agami Odisha organised the consultation on Polavaram
on 11th September at Ekamra Hatt.
• Orissa BJP seeks details of threat from Andhra dam : 21st September 2010 , (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists Tuesday
staged a rally in Orissa demanding details of possible damage due to the Polavaram dam project on the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh, re-
Concept, Design & Editing : Pranab
News Compilation : Niyati & Priyabrata
Odisha State Center,
Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water
Conflicts in India,
Baitarani Initiative
Bhubaneswar
n Web!
is also available o
eder
Water Fe Water Po
rtal
@ India
IBD
& @ SCR
Samaja
20%
Wat er Pollut ion
16%
Dharitri
17%
Uncer t ain Weat her
22%
Sambad
Polavaram Pr oject
13%
Wat er t o Indust r y 21%
3%
Pragatibadi
20%