Polavaram project poses threat for Odisha’s Malkangiri! watch

Malkangiri: The Polavaram project has allegedly posed threat for Odisha’s Malkangiri. The back water of the reservoir spreads into parts of Odisha. Besides, excessive rainfall in the upper catchment brings woo to the people of Malkangiri. In nutshell, it will not be wrong to say that some villages of Odisha are drowning by the water flowed from Andhra Pradesh.

Many areas of Malkangiri district are drowning in torrential rains. People are losing their livelihood. Apart from the flood the Andhra government’s Indira Sagar Dam or Polavaram project has posed threat to the people of this district. The entire area gets cut off from the outside world with a few hours of rain.

Be it the Jeypore-Motu National Highway No. 326 or the Malkangiri-Balimela-Kalimela-Padia main road, waist deep water flows above the bridges due to flood.

Even though money has been sanctioned for the construction of 5 bridges, the work progress is slow. The Kanyashram Bridge could not be constructed though the deadline has passed. Protests have been staged several times, but in vain. And hence, life of the locals turn miserable in the rainy season here.

The back water of the Polavaram project are submerging part of Odisha. Every year, the Motu area of Malkangiri district in the Andhra-Odisha border bears the pain.

The rural pockets of Malkangiri district bordering Andhra and Chhattisgarh are frequently hit by floods. This year, the Kuigur area of Motu in Malkangiri district was submerged for 6 days.

This year, the flood water level of the Godavari River had risen to the 60 feet mark and was flowing above the third danger level.

Also, six feet of water was flowing over the Kuigui Bridge in Motu area. People were dangerously traveling in motor propelled boats. The bridge was submerged for 6 days. Hundreds of vehicles were stuck on both sides. Communication to Andhra cut off on this route.

Malkangiri was also cut off from the outside world by the torrential rain. Water was flowing four to five feet above the bridges of Pangam, Chitrakonda, Poteru, Kankurakonda, Kanyashram, MV-96.

People including school and college students were stuck on both sides of the bridge. Even, a few +3 students missed the exam as they could not reach the exam centre. As the bridges are low, flood conditions are seen even in light rains.

Earlier due to incessant rain and resulting flood like situation the Andhra government had shifted more than 4700 people in the Badrachelam area. The Telangana government also deployed helicopters to deal with any type of situation. Traffic movement came to standstill in the Telangana and Chhattisgarh NH 30.

Last year around 1500 hectares farmland of Motu village was completely submerged. Even the floodwater reached Motu Bazar, which is about two kilometers away from the Mugi Point.

The administration shifted 565 people of 7 villages of Motu and Pusuguda Panchayat. 70 houses of Motu and Binayakpur villages were cut off from the outside world. It is to be noted that earlier in 1986 and 2006 flood situation had been witnessed in Motu. After a gap of 16 years, the same situation arose in 2022.

It has been alleged that there was no survey on the areas of Odisha affected by the Polavaram project. There is no discussion about the project with the villagers who are frequently affected. As a result, many areas are submerged and the people of Odisha are suffering from the flood. People have questioned that while the project is not completed yet and such is the situation, what would be the condition once the project will be operational.

The Kanyashram Bridge on River Poteru is in a dangerous condition.

This is the oldest bridge that had been made during the British time. Ten years ago, Maoists tried to blow up this bridge with tiffin bombs. As a result, the bridge has become weak and is in a dangerous condition now. It has been alleged that administration has neglected development work in this area as this is Maoist affected region.

The bridge has not yet been repaired or renovated. Four years ago tender was issued for construction of the new bridge, but the work has not been started yet.

Kanyashram Bridge connects Malkangari to Chhattisgarh. Connecting from Kalimela to Dornapal in Chhattisgarh through Padia block, thousands of vehicles ply every day on this bridge. About 2 to 3 lakh people of the region depend on this bridge. The bridge is half broken and weak. Big buses and trucks are plying on this road in a dangerous condition. As the bridge is low, rain water comes up the bridge. As a result the traffic gets interrupted.

On 13th July 2018 an agreement was signed with an agency and the work of the new bridge started. The work of the bridge started at a cost of Rs 12 crore 72 lakhs. The bridge work would have been completed by 12 July 2019. However, so far only 20 percent work has been completed.

Likewise, widening of the road is required to renovate the Kanyashram Bridge. The Superintendent of Roads and Housing Department said that the work of Bijan Kumar Parida Agency will be closed due to the delay in its work. The locals have questioned why the work of the agency was not cancelled earlier?

The locals have alleged that the work has been delayed due to the negligence of the departmental officers. The government sanctioned 5 new bridges in the district in 2020 to heighten the low bridges. They are Pangam, Poteru, Kangurukonda, MV-90 and MV-96. Diversion road work has also stopped in halfway.

The work on the new bridge has not started. On 02 July 2022, the tender has been given to Brijesh Agrawal of Bilaspur for the work.

The total tender of 5 bridges is Rs. 103 crores and 43 lakhs. A total of Rs.154 crores 5 lakhs is tendered. The deadline of the National Highway is 01 July 2024. National Highway Department 20 percent work has not been completed. The question in the minds of the local people is, how will the work be done within a year?

Similarly, 4 more bridges have been sanctioned in the district. They are Amla Jodi, Tamsa, MV-19 and Maharajpali. The tender for this work has been given to the Shiv Shakti Engineering Works of Chhattisgarh Bijapur.

Tender has been called for construction of four bridges of Rs 46 crore 41 lakh. However, the work of 5 old bridges has not been started. When will the new bridge’s work will begin? This  is the question on the minds of locals.

Watch the video here:

Polavaram project poses threat for Odisha’s Malkangiri!