‘Greenman of Odisha’ favours plantation on Rushikulya embankment

 Berhampur : At a time when the proposed Pipalapanka reservoir project over Rushikulya river in Sorada block of Ganjam district has sparked off resentment, ‘Greenman of Odisha’ Sudhir Raut has come forward with his plan for a plantation drive this year on the river side to strengthen the embankment.

Rushikulya is drying up due to lack of proper water-management. The once-mighty Rushikulya river has now turned into trickles.

“We are planning to plant 5,000 saplings with indigenous plants like banyan, peepal and neem this year for the first time on Rushikulya embankment by consulting the people of the adjoining villages. We will continue this plantation project for more years to come. Such indigenous plants have a grip over the soil and would benefit the locals at large”, said Sudhir.

This plantation drive would help water and soil conservation besides strengthening the embankment, he said. The plantation on the embankment of Rushikulya river, which is the lifeline of Ganjam, would start from Puruna Bandha, where the river merges with the Bay of Bengal, up to Pipalapanka project site, a stretch of more than 100 km.

Rushikulya river, which originates from Rushimala Hills under Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district in the Eastern Ghats range and is 165 km long, flows through Bada Madhapur and Potlampur under Chhatrapur block in Ganjam, Karapada, Poirasi, Umuridharmasaranpur, Malada, Palibandha and Kainchapur and merges with the Bay of Bengal at Puruna Bandha in Ganjam block. It has six tributaries, including Baghua, Dhanei and Badanadi.

Rushikulya river provides water for agriculture, drinking water to Berhampur, Chhatrapur and Gopalpur and helps thousands of fishermen earn their livelihood. Rushikulya water was used for drinking purposes for the first time 130 years ago in 1890 during the British rule. A total of 60,355 hectares of agricultural land in Ganjam are being irrigated by the Rushikulya canal system.

Rushikulya also supplies water for industrial purposes to Grasim Industries Limited-Ganjam Chemical Division (formerly Jayashree Chemical Limited), Gopalpur Port, Indian Rare Earths, Aska Co-operative Sugar Industries Limited-Nuagam, Aska Spinning Mills, Manorama Chemical Works Limited and Orissa Tubes Private Limited. There are about 3,360 small-scale industries of different categories, mainly food and allied, forest & wood-based, rubber and plastic products and glass and ceramics which get water from the Rushikulya river.

The proposed reservoir would come up at the confluence of Rushikulya and Odangi rivers near Pipalapnaka. If the project becomes a reality, Rushikulya river will dry up. Besides, 23 villages and thousands of acres of land will be submerged, Sudhir who is also the Chairman of the Action Committee of ‘Rushikulya Bachao Andolan,’ said.

Renowned environmentalist and Green Nobel Laureate Prafulla Samantray, who had been opposing the proposed Pipalapnaka reservoir from the beginning, said no dam should be allowed in any river because the natural flow of river water gets affected. “Dams on rivers only dry up water”, he said. He vehemently opposed both Pipalapanka and Kansarigand reservoirs on Rushikulya river.

The Pipalapanka reservoir was planned in 1996 when Tata Steel proposed to set up its mega steel plant in Chhatrapur area of Ganjam. However, the reservoir plan was kept in abeyance due to stiff protest from locals. In June last year, the State government had conducted a survey and identified land for the project. As per preliminary estimate, Rs 1,000 crore will be spent for the project.