Kotpad: The Joura Banchao Sangharsh Samiti (Save Joura Struggle Committee) has warned that if the Odisha government does not intervene, the sandbags blocking the river mouth will be removed.
At the Poura river mouth near Smrutipada in Kotpad, sandbags have been placed, diverting all the water towards Chhattisgarh. As a result, residents of six panchayats in Kotpad block are expected to face a severe water crisis. Expressing strong opposition, the Joura Banchao Sangharsh Samiti has cautioned that if the Odisha government does not intervene, they will be forced to remove the sandbags at the river mouth.
Historical Context of Water Sharing Agreement
In 1975, the then Chief Minister Nandini Satpathy signed the Indravati Water Distribution Agreement. As per the agreement, the water from the Indravati River, flowing through Joura-Sutipadar, was divided into two streams:
1. One stream flowed from Joura-Sutipadar through six panchayats of Kotpad block, eventually merging into the Kolab River and then the Gulmi waterfall.
2. The other stream passed through Pirinji and Bikrampur in Chandili panchayat, reaching Jagdalpur.
However, in recent years, Chhattisgarh has repeatedly violated the agreement by blocking the Joura river mouth with sandbags, arguing that Joura is not a river but a mere stream. This has led to water diversion, depriving Odisha of its rightful share.
Protests and Political Interventions
In response, the Poura Banchao Sangharsh Samiti was formed, consisting of residents from the six affected panchayats. Former irrigation ministers Vijay Mahapatra and Ravi Narayan Nanda, along with several other leaders, had earlier visited the site and intervened in the matter.
Following appeals from the struggle committee, the Central Water Commission assessed the situation and officially recognized Joura as a tributary rather than a stream. Subsequently, dams were constructed on both sides of the river mouth to ensure equal distribution of water, with 50% allocated to each state.
However, after a few years, Chhattisgarh has once again violated the agreement by blocking the Joura river mouth with sandbags, redirecting the water into its territory. This has resulted in severe water scarcity in Dhamana Handi, Sutipadar, Chandili, Murga Handi, Chhaterla, and Insuli panchayats in Kotpad block, causing the Soura River to dry up.
Demands and Warning from Protestors
With summer approaching, the impending water crisis in these panchayats has raised serious concerns. Residents have strongly protested against Chhattisgarh’s actions and have demanded immediate intervention from the Odisha government.
The **President of Kotpad Bar Association and the Struggle Committee, Pankaj Kumar Patra, along with Vice President Pradeep Badi, District Water Panchayat President Balkrishna Bishoi, Mohammad Salim, Manoj Panda, and Nauru