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State government holds talks with farmers on Hirakud

BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to pacify farmers who were against allocation of Hirakud Reservoir water in favour of industries, the Orissa government here on Friday made a reconciliation effort by holding discussions with the coordination committee of Western Orissa Farmers’ Associations.

An 11-member delegation of farmers, led by convenors -- Ashok Pradhan and Lingaraj -- met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Secretariat and briefed him about possible water scarcity for agriculture if industries were allowed to draw water from Hirakud Reservoir.

“Water discharged through power channel after hydropower generation at Hirakud not only irrigate thousands of acres of land in western Orissa but also sustain agriculture in coastal delta region. Hence, the State government should withdraw itself from the commitment to distribute water to industrial projects,” Lingaraj said after submitting a 17-point charter of demands.

According to the memorandum, the scarcity of water was felt in 2005. The State government has started renovation of canals by spending a World Bank loan of Rs. 39 crores in 2003-04. Despite the canal renovation, farmers could not get adequate water for their kharif crops.

Situation was apprehended to become more distressing in view that some seven large and eight medium irrigation projects were under construction in upper catchment area of Mahanadi River that fell in neighbouring Chhatisgarh, Mr. Pradhan said.

Moreover, siltation had already covered in 33 per cent area of Hirakud reservoir that meant supply of water to industries would only aggravate the situation to worse, he said.

Drawing attention on alleged illegal sourcing of water from Hirakud Reservoir by two companies of Vedanta and Bhushan groups, the farmers’ organisations demanded action against them.

“About 15000 fishermen, mainly displaced by the big dam project, depend upon fish reserve of Hirakud reservoir. However, the water body is increasingly receiving waste material from industries that have come up nearer to dam area. The reservoir should be made pollution-free,” Mr. Lingaraj demanded. The farmers’ leaders demanded that water should be first made available for irrigation purposes.

Although Chief Minister asked his bureaucrats to look into the demands, farmers’ leaders were not convinced, sources said. They were in no mood to change their agitation plans.

Meanwhile, farmers’ organisations declared that they would go ahead with the earlier plan of holding Sankalp Samabesh on March 23. Farmers from all Western Orissa districts are expected to take part in the public meeting.

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