Orissa to erect barrage on Mahendra Tanaya

Bhubaneswar, Apr 2 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced to lay a foundation stone for erection of a barrage on the Mahendra Tanaya river soon.

The government has planned to construct an irrigation project upstream of river Mahendra Tanaya near Kaithapadar village with a storage resrvoir to irrigate some 7940 hectares at Parlakhemundi, Kashingar and Raagada blocks of Gajapati district.

Mr Patnaik has also opposed the Andhra Pradesh government's plan to construct a weir on river Mahednra Tanaya and a dam in Andhra Pradesh.

In a letter to his counterpart Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, Mr Patnaik requested him to stop the construction work of the proposed irrigation project forthwith.

Mr Patnaik said the Orissa government had not received any information either from the Central Water Commission (CWC) or from the Andhra Pradesh Government regarding the approval of the project by the CWC.

The Chief Minister's apprehension was that if the said project was not stopped then the entire water of the river would flow to Andhra Pradesh and create serious problem in irrigtion and drinking water at Parlakhemundi area. He also apprehended that it might create law and order problem in bordering areas of Parlakehemundi.

Mr Patnaik urged his counterpart in Andhra Pradesh to stop the construction work of the project as per the 1962 inter-state agreement until a joint technical experts visited the area and reports to the governments.

UNI BD PC LS KP2227