By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday offered to talk to farmers opposing use of water from Hirakud dam for industrial purposes.
“The government is ready to discuss with western Orissa farmers,” Patnaik said here Monday.
“We will not divert water meant for agriculture for industrial use,” he asserted.
“First we will use water for irrigation. If there is a surplus, then we will decide how they can be used best,” he said.
Hundreds of farmers have been opposing industrial use of water from the 25.8-km long Hirakud dam — one of the longest dams in the world, located about 15 km from Sambalpur town, some 300 km from here.
Farmers have been holding rallies in the state’s western districts under the banner of Paschim Orissa Krushak Sangathan Samanwaya Samiti (POKSSS). They built a 15-ft long and five-ft high brick wall near Jamadarpali airstrip located close to the Hirakud dam Sunday.
The wall, described as “chasi rekha” (farmer’s line), has been built near the pipes Vedanta Resources plc has placed to draw water from the dam for its plant in Jharsuguda district.
Vedanta is building a $2.1-billion greenfield aluminium smelter plant together with an associated 1,215 MW captive thermal power plant at Jharsuguda.
The company will draw at least 172 cusec of water per day from the dam, which could provide irrigation to at least 17,200 acres, POKSSS leader Lingaraj told IANS.
“The state government is already diverting irrigation water from the dam to at least eight industries,” Lingaraj alleged.
As a result, more than 50,000 farmers in the command areas do not get water for their farms, the farmer leader said.
The government had decided to divert more water from the dam for mega industries in the region in the coming days, he alleged, adding that would deprive more farmers of water.
The state government has already permitted 20 more industries to draw at least 348.755 cusec of water in the coming days, he alleged.
“We will not allow any industry to use the dam water for industrial purposes,” he said.
“The wall we have built is to stop Vedanta from drawing dam water. The fight is not against Vedanta alone but also against all upcoming industries that are planning to draw water from the dam,” he added.
More than a dozen people were injured last week when police baton charged thousands of farmers attempting to enter a prohibited area of Hirakud dam while protesting the alleged diversion of irrigation water to industries.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had ordered a probe into the police action and had announced that his government would not divert irrigation water from the dam for industrial purposes.