Mahendra Tanaya_Vamshadhara

Mahendratanaya next bone of contention
BHUBANESWAR: At a time when Andhra Pradesh and Orissa governments are involved in a legal fight in the Supreme Court over the Polavaram project, another dam project on the river Mahendratanaya by AP is turning contentious because of increasing local opposition.


The 'Save Mahendratanaya' movement (Mahendratanaya Banchao Andolan) wanted the State Government to move the Supreme Court over the issue as the AP Government had allegedly violated the 1962 agreement between the two states regarding the project.

Criticising the inaction of the State Government, convenor of the movement Srikant Padhi alleged that no action has been taken on the issue though Andhra government is proceeding with the project without any concern for the local people on this side of the border.

The State Government had planned to construct two anicuts on the river Bansadhara Bansadhara integrated project to thwart the designs of the Andhra government. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation of the two anicuts at Dambapur village on the Mahendratanaya and at Champapur village on the river Jalanga, a tributary of Mahendratanaya on April 30, 2008.

Padhi alleged that though both the projects had received administrative approval, work has not progressed during the last two years. These projects will provide irrigation facilities to thousands of tribals in Gajapati and Rayagada districts and drinking water to Parlakhemundi town, he said.

The seven demands raised by the movement include finalising the tender process of the two projects and immediate start of work. He said construction work should be handed over to the military engineering service if contractors refuse to take up the project because of fear from the Naxals.

A division of the military engineering service should be set up at Parlakhemundi, he said and added that the vacant posts of assistant engineer at Parlakhemundi and junior engineer of the integrated Bansadhara project should be filled up.

After flowing 56 km in Orissa, Mahendratanaya merges in Bansadhara in Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh government has started Mahendratanaya project at Meliaput.

Vamshadhara_ Mahendra Tanaya Banchao Andolan

Orissa must act to counter Andhra Pradesh initiatives: Rashtriya Odia Yubak Pratisthana
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Report by Golakha Chandra Das; Bhubaneswar: It was 2 & ½ year back when Odisha Chief Minister Mr. Naveen Patnaik laid foundation for Bansadhara integrated project on river Mahendratanayaa.

It was the project which can cater the needs of water for irrigation, drinking purpose & electricity production for tribal dominated Gajapati & Rayagada district. Even the plan to construct 2 anikatas is also approved by the state technical committee as well as it got administrative approval. But the Odisha government is doing nothing on this since then. Even if the water resource department is under direct control of Chief Minister, still the department only invited tenders for this project & then it halted.

Where as the Andhra Pradesh Government is constructing the dam on its side with full swing. Odisha Government is just sitting silently observing this. It will be harmful to the people of the above 2 districts.

So Rashtriya Odia Yubak Pratisthana on Sunday in a press meet organized at hotel Keshari, Bbsr criticized the state Government for its apathy towards the Mahendratanayaa project. It blamed that Odisha Govt. is neither doing anything to stop Andhra Govt. nor taking the case to court. The ROYP threatened to start a large scale agitation against such attitude of State Govt. if it will not do anything immediately.

Also it suggests 7point charter to state Govt. 1) to apply in Supreme Court against Andhra Govt. which violates 1962 agreement by constructing project at Meliaputa on its side 2) to invite tender for Jalanga Anikata project 3) to construct immediate 2 proposed Anikatas 4) Govt. take the task by own if no one agreed to build the project 5) the task may be handed over to Military Engineering Service 6) to open a division office at Paralakhemundi 7) to fulfill the vacant post at Paralakhemundi subdivision.

Mr. Srikanta Padhy, national chairman, ROYP & convener, Mahendratanayaa Banchao Andolan addresses the journalist friends on this occasion.

Vansadhara tribunal to start hearing form Nov 23
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Report by Jyoti Prakash; Bhubaneswar: Vansadhara water distribution tribunal will start its hearing from next November 23. Before that the tribunal today ordered both Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to submit their respective views within 6 weeks. On the other hand, status quo will be maintained on construction of Katraguda barrage on the river Vansadhara till further orders.

The tribunal headed by Justice B.N Agrawal today called a meeting of both the states who are fighting over the water sharing of Vansadhara to present their views in New Delhi. Orissa water resources Secretary Suresh Mohapatra represented the state where as Andhra was represented by its Water Resources minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah and the irrigation engineers.

The dispute between Orissa and AP began in the early 90s when the latter attempted to construct the Neredi barrage on Vansadhara river, 16 km from Gunpur town in Orissa’s Rayagada district. Objections raised by Orissa prevented the then AP government from going ahead with the construction. However, AP went ahead and built the Gotta barrage across the river.

Vansadhara, one of the six major rivers of Orissa, originates from the Durgakangar hills (Lingaraj hills) of the Eastern Ghats in Kalahandi district. The 230 km-Long River runs through Orissa (150 km) and Andhra Pradesh before merging into the Bay of Bengal at Kalingapatnam in Andhra. Its catchments area is spread over 1,400 sq km in Orissa and 300 sq km in Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra has even constructed second phase of Gotta barrage despite Orissa’s protest. Now, the problem is with the construction of Katraguda barrage on Vansadhara.

Vamshadhara-river erosion

Steps afoot to save villages from erosion

Staff Reporter

BERHAMPUR: Efforts have been initiated to save villages in Kasinagar block and Kasinagar town of Gajapati district from increasing erosive action of the Vansadhara river.

Villages of Khandaba, Budora and Kidigaon panchayats as well as the Kasinagar Notified Area Council (NAC) are facing floods and extreme erosion since past few years. As per the localites, the erosive action of the Vansadhara river in their area is more following construction of spurs and embankments on the Andhra Pradesh side of the river in this interstate border area.

Since past many years people have been demanding construction of guard walls to save the villages of three panchayats and Kasinagar town from the wrath of the Vansadhara river which is rapidly changing its course in this area during floods in monsoon.

Speaking to The Hindu, K. Narayana Rao, MLA of Paralakhemundi, says the State government has sanctioned Rs. 10 crores to save these areas from the erosive action of the river. Under this project, strong guard walls will be built near 14 villages identified to be facing erosion of the river. Guard wall will also be built near Kasinagar town to save it from the floods and erosion of the Vansadahara river. In total, more than five km of guard wall will be constructed in the area. It may be noted that 18 km stretch of the river is facing severe erosion in the area. But efforts are on to save the human habitats first. Tender process for this project is almost complete and the construction work will start after the rainy season, says Mr. Rao.