Odisha overlooks CWC diktat

Srikakulam: The Odisha government is still not cooperating for joint survey in both AP and Odisha territory for the proposed Neradi barrage across Vamsadhara river. A tribunal appointed by the Supreme Court to resolve Vamsadhara dispute and the Central Water Commission (CWC) both have directed Odisha government to cooperate with AP to use its share of water. From the beginning, Odisha has been objecting Neradi barrage claiming that it will submerge its lands at Sara and Badigam villages in an extent of 106 acres.

The barrage is essential to divert 20 tmc feet of water from the river to Hira mandal reservoir. To clear it, AP government decided to pay compensation for 106 acres. Odisha engineers did not attend for a meeting hold by the CWC at Visakhapatnam on May 8 this year by saying that they were busy in taking Fani cyclone restoration works. In the meeting, the CWC directed to complete the survey by May 30. But it was not completed as Odisha not cooperating with AP.

Despite AP engineers started survey on June 6, the Odisha engineers did not attend survey by saying that they have not been instructed by their government. As a result, AP engineers initiated survey in our land towards 6 km upstream and 1.5 km downstream from the proposed Neradi barrage site on Thursday and Friday.