Upper Indravati Multi-Purpose Project A Curse to the Tribals of Nabarangpur.
Project Violating Riparian right of Irrigation in down Stream area.
Central Govt. & World Bank Must realise the Seriousness of the emerging situation in a cornor of India, the voice should go on record in the economic history of the state.
BY: BASANT RATH, JOURNALIST.
CONTACT CELL NO: 9437338714
Human environmental and scientific considerations are sacrificed to suit engineering and construction demands. Man is for plan, not plan is for man. To get the benefit of electricity the whole engineering design of the Upper Indrivati Project, has been so made that four beautiful perennially flowing rivers of Nabarangpur and Koraput districts have huge down stream area of the project Kapur, and Podagada rivers are being closed completely removing them from the geography of the districts. World Bank funded Indravati Multi purpose project on the river Indravati on the border of Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur districts of Southern Orissa is a moving illustration of such a disastrous doctrine. The main consideration of the project is generation of hydro electricity with an installed capacity of
600 Megawatt of power and the tail race water of the power house will be diverted to Hati river, a tributary of Mahanadi river flowing through Kalahandi district to irrigate about one lakh hector as estimated.
It is unique in that indravati and its three tributaries are being dammed to creat a deep reservoir of 110 sq. kilometers, covering both the districts major part in Nabarangpur district rendering homeless thirty thousand people, mostly tribals, displaced due to submergence and wiping out a vast tract of dense forest. Two tributaries rivers Podagada and Kapur of Indrivati river will be completely closed, and rendering them dead for ever. The concrete dam of Muran River is so high that one may expect small quantity of water flowing in the rainy season in the river when the reservoir is full. The fate of the Main Indravati rivers is also same as it is being closed by a high concrete dam to raise the water level of reservoir to create a head for fall the water at Mukhiguda Power House.
Normally in hydro electrical projects, the water flowing through the power house is again diverted to the main river so that it remains to be alive as before. But in case of the Upper Indravati Project the vast and deep reservoir is being created to divert the entire water through a tunnel to the power house so that the tail race water is diverted to another river Hati for irrigation purpose in Kalahandi district. One can well imagine the condition of the entire region down stream of these four rivers closed for all practical purposes. The entire region through which these four rivers were flowing since time immemorial will go a sea change in all respects. They are all in the Nabarangpur and Koraput district and the affected persons were about three lakhs of people living in villages of both sides of these four dead rivers.
The agricultural land will be no more inundated and deposit of silt in rainy season will be lost for ever. Because of lack of natural fertilizer and moisture, the cropping pattern changed and all high valued cash crops like tobacco, sugarcane, pulses and vegetables’ gone out of cultivation. What the plight of the people is now the water table gone down and the tube wells and lift irrigation points existing in the area for irrigation purposes become useless. Dwinding water problem which is always acute in the summer in this region, which cause concern in most of the years causing health hazards. The worst sufferers are the cattle population to whom these rivers were the main source for their drinking water and for bath.
When in January 1979 the project received the clearance of the central government conditions were imposed that environmental aspect and resettlement aspect should be taken care of by the state government by preparing a management plan and setting up a monitoring group to implement the safeguards suggested by the centre since then both the central government and the state government forgot about their responsibility. Even while granting loan World Bank did not bother about rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced persons, nor did they enquire about the problems of environment that will surface in future.
Former Member of Parliament, Shri Banka Behary Das wrote on 15th August1992 to the resident director World Bank complaining about gross violation of principles settled regarding environment protection and resettlement of displaced persons in the Upper Indravati Project. He wrote that In 1982 the World Bank laid its policy that it will not assist to development project that knowingly involved encroachment on traditional territories being used or occupied by tribal people unless adequate safeguards are provided specifically about the tribal population, but in the case of Upper Indravati Project, violated its own policy towards the tribals and provided no specific safeguard for them at any time during the negotiations nor at the time of agreement relating to Upper Indravati Project, was it not the duty of the World Bank to see whether the project report fulfilled this condition.
There is no settled resettlement and rehabilitation policy, no attention was given to the environment aspect of the project, though huge area is going to be submerged and huge area is is going to be dry expediting the collapse of the economy of villages on both side of four rivers flowing in the districts Indravati, Podagada, Kapur and Muran of Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Koraput are not only dammed but virtually closed. Problem of water logging salinity causing damage to the existing crop area and creating health hazards in proposed irrigated area has not been studied or assessed up till now. The state government, the central government and the World Bank do not bother about the ecological change that will overtake the downstream region from last 10 years.
It is high time that the Central and the state government should lay emphasis on the problems of environment and health which they should have done from the start. The negligence is unpardonable according to their own standard. Though the World Bank is funding the Indravati multipurpose project of Orissa, but the state government as well as the World Bank has not utterly apathetic to the plight of the tribals. Untold miseries have been heaped on the people for the project which is bound to be a disaster future. Without proper data base, and sufficient investigation, the project has been contemplated. As a result its economical benefit has been overstated, whereas social and environmental cost has not been assessed at all what to speak of it being understated.
To satisfy engineering skill without bothering for human misery, the project has been designed to create a big and deep reservoir by killing four perennially flowing live rivers which sustained the economy of huge region. Indravati Project is a death trap for the poor and hungry people of the Nabarangpur, and Koraput districts, hundreds of villagers living on the downstream of these rivers will have emotional problems and also their livelihood become totally jeopardized. The people residing in those are apprehensive for their future.
The project also become greatest disaster in India, which will hasten desertification of major part of Nabarangpur district up to Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh, and Chitrakot of Chattisghar, also mounting miseries for more than five lakhs of people mostly tribals. Though the project bring some change in the agricultural sector of comparatively better-off plains region of Kalahandi district the famine stricken area does not fall in the command area of the project. Originally this project was conceived from the feudal and British days till the end of three decades after independence as an irrigation project. Subsequently it was changed to generate hydro-power too. For the entire engineering design was changed drastically without scant regard to the benefit of those for whom it was originally conceived.
When the project was accorded environmental clearance in 1977 the Central government stipulated conditions such as formulation and effective implementation of such action plans as rehabilitation master plan. Compensatory afforestation scheme anti poaching measures, but after 33 years the state government did not formulate any action plan and the question of implementation did not arise. On August 1992 the Government of India replied on the floor of loka sabha that the Project authorities have taken up studies and survey on various environmental aspects for evolving comprehensive environmental management plan. Subsequently a foreign international consultancy studied the affects from various angles and strongly pleaded that to relase 7 cumecs water to mantain ecological balance and meet the consumptive and nonconsumptive needs of the people. The recommendation is not cared by the state government.
The State and Central governments violated the riparian rights of people in downstream areas of Nabarangpur district during implementation of the Upper Indravati Project,” alleged former legislator and State Congress vice-president Sadan Naik.
Addressing mediapersons today, he said the Indravati hydro-electricity project, which was started in 1978 and completed some years back, made the downstream tribal- dominated Nabarangpur district dry.
He said the water of Indravati and its tributaries Padagad, Kapoor and Mooran was diverted to Hati valley to produce 600 MW of power and irrigate 1,01,000 hectares in Kalahandi District.
As per the 1975 inter-State agreement between Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, out of 204 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water of Indravati dam, 91 TMC was to be used for Indravati project and 45 TMC to be supplied to Madhya Pradesh every year and the rest 68 TMC would be used by Orissa.
But diversion of all the water stock to Hati Valley, Kalahandi, agitated the Nabarangpur people. “To cool off the frayed tempers, irrigation from the Indravati project was promised but 30 years have passed and nothing has been done in this regard,” Naik alleged.
The total irrigation capacity of the Indravati project in Kalahandi is 1,01,000 hectares and now the government is planning to increase it to 1,28,000 hectares. “A Pune-based organisation has completed the project report for this and the Central Water Commission is examining it. This will require 20 MW of power which will be generated using water of Nabarangpur district. Under these circumstances, there would be no water left for people of the district,” Naik claimed.
He threatened an agitation if the issue is not addressed at the earliest
Upper Indravati Multi-Purpose Project A Curse to the Tribals of Nabarangpur.
Project Violating Riparian right of Irrigation in down Stream area.
Central Govt. & World Bank Must realise the Seriousness of the emerging situation in a cornor of India, the voice should go on record in the economic history of the state.
BY: BASANT RATH, JOURNALIST.
CONTACT CELL NO: 9437338714
Human environmental and scientific considerations are sacrificed to suit engineering and construction demands. Man is for plan, not plan is for man. To get the benefit of electricity the whole engineering design of the Upper Indrivati Project, has been so made that four beautiful perennially flowing rivers of Nabarangpur and Koraput districts have huge down stream area of the project Kapur, and Podagada rivers are being closed completely removing them from the geography of the districts. World Bank funded Indravati Multi purpose project on the river Indravati on the border of Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur districts of Southern Orissa is a moving illustration of such a disastrous doctrine. The main consideration of the project is generation of hydro electricity with an installed capacity of 600 Megawatt of power and the tail race water of the power house will be diverted to Hati river, a tributary of Mahanadi river flowing through Kalahandi district to irrigate about one lakh hector as estimated.
It is unique in that indravati and its three tributaries are being dammed to creat a deep reservoir of 110 sq. kilometers, covering both the districts major part in Nabarangpur district rendering homeless thirty thousand people, mostly tribals, displaced due to submergence and wiping out a vast tract of dense forest. Two tributaries rivers Podagada and Kapur of Indrivati river will be completely closed, and rendering them dead for ever. The concrete dam of Muran River is so high that one may expect small quantity of water flowing in the rainy season in the river when the reservoir is full. The fate of the Main Indravati rivers is also same as it is being closed by a high concrete dam to raise the water level of reservoir to create a head for fall the water at Mukhiguda Power House.
Normally in hydro electrical projects, the water flowing through the power house is again diverted to the main river so that it remains to be alive as before. But in case of the Upper Indravati Project the vast and deep reservoir is being created to divert the entire water through a tunnel to the power house so that the tail race water is diverted to another river Hati for irrigation purpose in Kalahandi district. One can well imagine the condition of the entire region down stream of these four rivers closed for all practical purposes. The entire region through which these four rivers were flowing since time immemorial will go a sea change in all respects. They are all in the Nabarangpur and Koraput district and the affected persons were about three lakhs of people living in villages of both sides of these four dead rivers.
The agricultural land will be no more inundated and deposit of silt in rainy season will be lost for ever. Because of lack of natural fertilizer and moisture, the cropping pattern changed and all high valued cash crops like tobacco, sugarcane, pulses and vegetables’ gone out of cultivation. What the plight of the people is now the water table gone down and the tube wells and lift irrigation points existing in the area for irrigation purposes become useless. Dwinding water problem which is always acute in the summer in this region, which cause concern in most of the years causing health hazards. The worst sufferers are the cattle population to whom these rivers were the main source for their drinking water and for bath.
When in January 1979 the project received the clearance of the central government conditions were imposed that environmental aspect and resettlement aspect should be taken care of by the state government by preparing a management plan and setting up a monitoring group to implement the safeguards suggested by the centre since then both the central government and the state government forgot about their responsibility. Even while granting loan World Bank did not bother about rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced persons, nor did they enquire about the problems of environment that will surface in future.
Former Member of Parliament, Shri Banka Behary Das wrote on 15th August1992 to the resident director World Bank complaining about gross violation of principles settled regarding environment protection and resettlement of displaced persons in the Upper Indravati Project. He wrote that In 1982 the World Bank laid its policy that it will not assist to development project that knowingly involved encroachment on traditional territories being used or occupied by tribal people unless adequate safeguards are provided specifically about the tribal population, but in the case of Upper Indravati Project, violated its own policy towards the tribals and provided no specific safeguard for them at any time during the negotiations nor at the time of agreement relating to Upper Indravati Project, was it not the duty of the World Bank to see whether the project report fulfilled this condition.
There is no settled resettlement and rehabilitation policy, no attention was given to the environment aspect of the project, though huge area is going to be submerged and huge area is is going to be dry expediting the collapse of the economy of villages on both side of four rivers flowing in the districts Indravati, Podagada, Kapur and Muran of Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Koraput are not only dammed but virtually closed. Problem of water logging salinity causing damage to the existing crop area and creating health hazards in proposed irrigated area has not been studied or assessed up till now. The state government, the central government and the World Bank do not bother about the ecological change that will overtake the downstream region from last 10 years.
It is high time that the Central and the state government should lay emphasis on the problems of environment and health which they should have done from the start. The negligence is unpardonable according to their own standard. Though the World Bank is funding the Indravati multipurpose project of Orissa, but the state government as well as the World Bank has not utterly apathetic to the plight of the tribals. Untold miseries have been heaped on the people for the project which is bound to be a disaster future. Without proper data base, and sufficient investigation, the project has been contemplated. As a result its economical benefit has been overstated, whereas social and environmental cost has not been assessed at all what to speak of it being understated.
To satisfy engineering skill without bothering for human misery, the project has been designed to create a big and deep reservoir by killing four perennially flowing live rivers which sustained the economy of huge region. Indravati Project is a death trap for the poor and hungry people of the Nabarangpur, and Koraput districts, hundreds of villagers living on the downstream of these rivers will have emotional problems and also their livelihood become totally jeopardized. The people residing in those are apprehensive for their future.
The project also become greatest disaster in India, which will hasten desertification of major part of Nabarangpur district up to Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh, and Chitrakot of Chattisghar, also mounting miseries for more than five lakhs of people mostly tribals. Though the project bring some change in the agricultural sector of comparatively better-off plains region of Kalahandi district the famine stricken area does not fall in the command area of the project. Originally this project was conceived from the feudal and British days till the end of three decades after independence as an irrigation project. Subsequently it was changed to generate hydro-power too. For the entire engineering design was changed drastically without scant regard to the benefit of those for whom it was originally conceived.
When the project was accorded environmental clearance in 1977 the Central government stipulated conditions such as formulation and effective implementation of such action plans as rehabilitation master plan. Compensatory afforestation scheme anti poaching measures, but after 33 years the state government did not formulate any action plan and the question of implementation did not arise. On August 1992 the Government of India replied on the floor of loka sabha that the Project authorities have taken up studies and survey on various environmental aspects for evolving comprehensive environmental management plan. Subsequently a foreign international consultancy studied the affects from various angles and strongly pleaded that to relase 7 cumecs water to mantain ecological balance and meet the consumptive and nonconsumptive needs of the people. The recommendation is not cared by the state government.
The State and Central governments violated the riparian rights of people in downstream areas of Nabarangpur district during implementation of the Upper Indravati Project,” alleged former legislator and State Congress vice-president Sadan Naik.
Addressing mediapersons today, he said the Indravati hydro-electricity project, which was started in 1978 and completed some years back, made the downstream tribal- dominated Nabarangpur district dry.
He said the water of Indravati and its tributaries Padagad, Kapoor and Mooran was diverted to Hati valley to produce 600 MW of power and irrigate 1,01,000 hectares in Kalahandi District.
As per the 1975 inter-State agreement between Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, out of 204 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water of Indravati dam, 91 TMC was to be used for Indravati project and 45 TMC to be supplied to Madhya Pradesh every year and the rest 68 TMC would be used by Orissa.
But diversion of all the water stock to Hati Valley, Kalahandi, agitated the Nabarangpur people. “To cool off the frayed tempers, irrigation from the Indravati project was promised but 30 years have passed and nothing has been done in this regard,” Naik alleged.
The total irrigation capacity of the Indravati project in Kalahandi is 1,01,000 hectares and now the government is planning to increase it to 1,28,000 hectares. “A Pune-based organisation has completed the project report for this and the Central Water Commission is examining it. This will require 20 MW of power which will be generated using water of Nabarangpur district. Under these circumstances, there would be no water left for people of the district,” Naik claimed.He threatened an agitation if the issue is not addressed at the earliest
