Berhampur.Dec. 25: A Supreme-Court appointed-Tribunal team on Bansadhara water dispute has begun inspection at Sara village under Kashipur block in Paralakhemundi of Gajapati district on Tuesday.The tribunal team led by Chairman, Justice Mukundam Sharma visited the affected areas of Neredi and Katragadda barrages on Banshadhara river in the district.
Yesterday, the team had visited the affected areas of at the Katragadda phase – II project in Andhra Pradesh.
Two barrages constructed over the Bansadhara river at Katragada and Naredi by the Andhra Pradesh Government have turned a major matter of concern for the people of Gajapati and Rayagada as the water flow in the river has become very less.
The Bansadhara river, one of the six major rivers of Odisha and lifeline of Kashipurblock in Gajapati district and Gunpur block of Rayagada district, originates from the Durgakangar hills (Lingaraj hills) of the eastern ghats in Koraput district. The 230-km-long river runs 150 km in Odisha and 80 km in Andhra Pradesh before merging into the Bay of Bengal at Kalingapatnam in the neighbouring State. Its catchments area is spread over 1,400 sq km in Orissa and 300 sq km in Andhra Pradesh.
Earlier, the special tribunal on the Bansadhara water dispute granted a go-ahead to the Andhra Government for construction of two barrages on the river near Katragadda and Naredi.
Construction of barrages on the river by Andhra Pradesh, the farmers of Gajapati and Gunpur are facing a huge shortage of water because the river water is flowing away and stored at the barrage
Prasanta Patnaik