Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has scrapped the proposed Samakoi-Chakdar irrigation project in Telkoi block of Keonjhar district, bowing to sustained opposition from local residents.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the decision during the 48th State-level Golden Jubilee celebrations at PM Shri Government High School at Shrigida.
The locals residents have been opposing the project for 46 years. They allege that once the project is completed at Chakdar downstream of Samakoi river, a major part of Telkoi block will be submerged and many people displaced. Locals further argued that it offered no irrigation benefits to Keonjhar district, instead will primarily serve around 10,000 hectares of farmland in neighbouring Angul district.
Sources said the project was shelved for 20 years after protests by locals till the BJP government announced funds for it in the budget.
The 2024 saw demonstrations, including bandhs, highway blockades, and rallies at Keonjhar collectorate organised by groups like the Samakoi-Chakdar Project Coordination Committee. Villagers feared widespread submergence in Telkoi without corresponding local gains, and demanded relocation of the barrage to sites like Biralamunda in Angul’s Pallahara area or upstream locations such as Hatimunda.T
