Chhattisgarh has reduced Mahanadi water flow: Pradhan
Bhubaneswar, June 10: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday admitted that Chhattisgarh has reduced the downstream flow of water in the Mahanadi, due to which Odisha is not getting the required river water during non-monsoon months.
Pradhan said that the water flow into the Mahanadi's lower catchment area has been affected due to the construction of barrages in the upper catchment areas in Chhattisgarh.
The Minister was addressing a press conference in Sambalpur on the completion of four years of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government.
He said that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should take steps to put pressure on the Chhattisgarh government to release water to Odisha.
"There is a need to put pressure on the Chhattisgarh government and I request the Odisha Chief Minister to take steps in this regard. I personally support the cause and the Centre will always help in resolving the issue," said Pradhan.
He said no provision has been made by the state government to store water in lower catchment areas of Hirakud reservoir, as a result of which the water is flowing into the sea.
On the other hand, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) said that the central government should put pressure on the Chhattisgarh government to release water for the benefit of the Odisha people.
"The Union Minister was forced to admit this not due to his conscience but due to people's mandate in Odisha," said BJD Rajya Sabha MP Prasanna Acharya.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Niranjan Patnaik said: "This indicates what the Congress and every Odia have been saying all along. The BJP shamelessly snatched Odisha's share of the Mahanadi and the BJD helped them in doing so by silently supporting the loot. This has been happening since the BJD and BJP joined hands for power in Odisha."
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Puttur: Dead body of worker who died during work left on road in front of house
Dalit organisations protest against inhumane act
Puttur: An inhumane incident has been reported in Puttur, where the body of a worker who died during work was transported in a pickup vehicle and left on the road in front of his house. Dalit organisations held a protest in front of the Puttur City Police Station today condemning the incident.
The incident occurred on Saturday in the Salmara area of Chikkamudnoor village in Puttur taluk. The deceased, Shivappa (69), was a labourer from Salmara Tarigudde.
According to reports, Shivappa was taken to work in the morning by Henry Travo of Salmara Travo Industries in a pickup vehicle. While at the worksite, Shivappa reportedly fell seriously ill, and in the afternoon, he was brought back in the pickup and left lying on the road in front of his house. "When my mother and I went to check, we found that my father had passed away. Later with the help of our neighbours we brought the dead body inside," said Shivappa’s daughter, Usha, in her police statement.
Usha’s statement has led to the Puttur City Police registering a case. The police have seized the pickup vehicle that was allegedly used to transport the body.
Various Dalit organisations held a protest in front of the Puttur Town Police Station, condemning the inhumane act of leaving Shivappa's body on the roadside.
Following the protest, police went to Salmara Tavromil and retrieved the vehicle that had been used to transport the body, which they have now seized.
During this time, Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai, Dalit leaders, BJP leader Arun Kumar Puthil, and others were present.
MLA Ashok Kumar Rai questioned the delay in the police investigation, stating that abandoning the body in such a manner was not acceptable. He has instructed the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
