Use Mahanadi water for industries: State and Chhattisgarh
Bhubaneswar: Monday, action Aid in association with its partners launched the People’s Report on Mahanadi River and Jal Sathi Programme in Odisha at the state-level programme organised at CYSD office here.On the occasion more than 60 women leaders and youth volunteers including the Jal Sathi-water volunteers joined this programme and contributed to the discussion sharing their views and ideas related to the Mahanadi issue.This report was the result of study undertaken in 10 Districts of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Priyabarata Satapathy, development researcher said that the industrial and medical wastes are the major sources of pollution of water in Mahanadi. The rights to natural flow of water need to be protected.B N Durga of ActionAid, said both State Governments of Odisha and Chhattisgarh are mostly concerned about the water demand by industries and intend to establish more industries and provide them water. They are least concerned about water demand by farmers, fishermen, artisans or in maintaining minimum environmental flow in the river.As per report, 87 percent people used Mahanadi river for fishing purpose as most communities depend upon fishing as their primary livelihood option. Almost 77 per cent villages used it for irrigation purpose. 37 percent people use river water for drinking purpose. 32 percent are using it for navigation and 57 percent for cultural use. Communities from Chhattisgarh are using only for irrigation and fishing which is now again not possible as they have less access to water after construction of barrages.Over last four to five years, communities have experienced a shift in the pattern of river water use. The overall scenario depicts that there is less water for irrigation purpose, hardly any fish to catch throughout the year, no food for last few years and increased pollution level.Around 82 per cent people stated that there is less water available for irrigation. Some stated that because there have been no floods in last few years the top soil deposit which makes the land more fertile, is absent. River basin communities are affected as they lost their livelihood as they cannot go fishing. Now they are only able to catch fish in rainy season and forced to alter their livelihood and most people migrate to other places in search of livelihood.
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