Mob ransacks construction site in Odisha amid protests against water project

Locals have been up in arms against the ₹892 crore project for water supply from the Kharasrota river to the Bhadrak district. The project is expected to solve the drinking water crisis in parts of the region that faces depilation in groundwater

Published on: Aug 13, 2021, 10:01:51 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A mob ransacked temporary camps and vehicles at a construction site in Odisha’s Kendrapara district during protests against a drinking water project that involves the withdrawal of water from a river for the supply of piped water to a neighbouring district.

Umakanta Nayak, a local police officer, said the mob carrying bamboo sticks gathered at the site on Thursday and shouted slogans against the government and the project before going berserk. He added the mob also attacked security personnel.

Locals have been up in arms against the ₹892 crore project for water supply from the Kharasrota river to the Bhadrak district. The project is expected to solve the drinking water crisis in parts of the region that faces depilation in groundwater.

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The protesters say the diversion of water will deprive their farmlands of irrigation and lead to a drinking water crisis.

“We are determined to intensify our protest if the state government does not scrap the project. Under no circumstances would we allow waters of Kharasrota to be diverted towards any other place,” said Bidhan Das, a resident.

Ruling Biju Janata Dal lawmaker Pratap Deb said the protest is totally politically motivated. “The project will cater to the interest of more than 65,00,00 people and provide clean drinking water to every household.”

Kendrapara district collector Amrit Ruturaj said work on the project will continue as per plan. “A team led by the sub-collector held discussions with the people on Wednesday. The superintendent of police and I camped in the area. We are ready to talk to the local people and clear their apprehensions.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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