Bhubaneswar: While the Odisha government has its focus on Kalma barrage where the Chhattisgarh government has blocked the flow of Mahanadi river to the Hirakud dam, the statement by the Water Resources minister Niranjan Pujari in the State Assembly on Monday is hard to believe, although true.
Replying to a question of BJP member Dilip Ray, the minister said the neighbouring state, till date, has already constructed 2268 projects on Mahanadi river which include eight mega irrigation projects, 29 medium irrigation projects, 1860 minor irrigation projects and 371 anicuts. Besides, construction of 443 projects including six big barrages, four mega irrigation projects, three minor irrigation projects and 305 minor irrigation projects is underway, he added.
Pujari said due to construction of 2711 projects in the upper catchments, water flow of the river into Hirakud dam has drastically reduced which would result in acute scarcity of drinking water, irrigation, hydropower generation and acute shortage in the supply of water for industrial use. People living in Mahanadi delta areas would be severely affected due to acute shortage of water which would lead to drinking water crisis and massive crop loss, he pointed out.
Apart from this, the rich biodiversity in the lower catchments of Mahanadi such as Satkosia sanctuary, Chilika lake, Bhitarkanika and Gahiramatha would be adversely affected, Pujari informed the House.
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