Bhubaneswar: The Opposition BJD today demanded immediate stoppage of the ongoing works at Polavaram Dam project to protect the people residing in the low lying areas of Malkangiri and likely to be submerged once the project is completed.
A high-level delegation of the BJD visited the Mottu area of Malkangiri District and held discussions with the representatives from the submerged areas of Malkangiri district, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
The gathering, which marks a significant step towards addressing the concerns of the affected communities, resulted in the adoption of a comprehensive set of resolutions aimed at protecting the land, livelihood, and rights of those living in the project’s impact zones, a BJD leader said.
BJD President Naveen Patnaik joined the protest demonstration meeting through a video conference and said that he has always fought for the cause of the people of Malkangiri district who will lose their land and livelihood once the Polavaram dam is complete.
He said that he has always opposed the design change of the project for which many areas of Malkangiri district will be submerged and he will always fight for the rights of the people of Malkangiri district of Odisha
The delegates unanimously condemned the unilateral decision by the Government of India to sanction Rs 12,000 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 6000 crore in 2025-26 totaling around Rs 18,000 crore for the completion of the project, without proper consultation with the riparian states and the communities at risk of displacement, BJD senior Vice-President Debi Prasad Mishra said.
He said the decision violates the provisions of the 1980 Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award and poses a direct threat to the people of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.
The delegates strongly condemned the Government of India’s decision to approve Rs 18,000 crore for the completion of the Polavaram project, bypassing essential consultations with the affected communities. This decision violates both legal and environmental norms and threatens the livelihoods of the people in these regions.
The BJD delegates expressed deep concern over the environmental and forest clearances granted to the project without conducting a mandatory public hearing in the proposed submerged region in Odisha. They argued that these clearances, based on inaccurate assumptions about submergence, are detrimental to the environment and the indigenous tribal communities who will be severely affected.
The delegates highlighted serious discrepancies in the data provided by authorities regarding the extent of land submergence. They demanded a fresh and independent study to assess the true scale of the inundation and its impact on the affected areas.
A high-level delegation from the Government of India and Odisha must visit the affected areas to assess the potential impacts of the project. The work at the Polavaram Dam site should be stopped immediately till all submergence issues in Malkangiri district of Odisha are settled and also in Andhra Pradesh & Chharisgarh, they demanded.
It was also decided at the meeting that a legal battle will be initiated in the Supreme Court to seek a stay on further construction of the project until all environmental and legal procedures are followed.
The protestors demanded independent backwater studies should be conducted, with representation from all affected states, to evaluate the potential impacts more accurately.
A mandatory public hearing must be held in Malkangiri, before granting any further environmental clearances or approvals for the project, they further demanded.
The delegation further said no displacement should occur without a comprehensive R&R plan that guarantees compensation, alternative livelihoods, and protection of land rights for all affected families.
“We stand united in our demand for justice and call for urgent measures to protect the land, homes, and livelihoods of our people. It is imperative that the voices of those most affected by this project are heard,” said a spokesperson for the delegates.
The resolution adopted today represents a collective plea from the communities in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana, as they seek a fair and just resolution to the ongoing concerns surrounding the Polavaram project.
Jal Sankalph Yatra was organised where thousands of women took water from the confluence point of river saveri and sileru and took it to the Polavaram protest venue and pledged to fight for the rights of the proposed submerged area people.