Indravati side effects hit KBK

Tathya.in, Aug 1, 2007

Bhawanipatna:31/July/2007
While major hydro irrigation project of Upper Indravati (UIHP) has brought cheers to the farmers of KBK region but its side effects are harming them more.

Dr. Digamabara Patra, a leading Non Resident Oriya (NRO) who belongs to this backward region have analyzed in great details.

Decade long operations of UIHP has provided irrigation facility and benefited a large number of farmers in the backward KBK region resulting boost in the economy of the local and the state.

The state government is richer by hundreds of crore rupees annually by selling power to the neighboring state.

However, the negative side effects from this project from infrastructure and health count is creating appalling situation for the common men.

Opening of various channels to irrigate agricultural farm land has brought various deadly water born diseases in the form of Tuberculosis, Malaria, Brain fever to the region directly affecting the local mass.

However health facilities in this region are in a state of despair.

And new born water diseases have added to their owes, allege the villagers.

Serious staff shortage in the Community Health Centers (CHC) and Primary Health Centers (PHC) coupled with shortage of technical expertise as well as proper medical diagnostic instruments has further worsened the situation.

Take the case of Dharamgarh, the total number of doctor posts in the Dharamgarh sub-divisional hospital is 18, however, at present there are only six doctors in position.

In the monsoon season, when the hospital records a higher number of patients, it is finding it very difficult to cope with the situation.

Government sanctioned an ENT specialist post in the Dharamgarh hospital but has coolly forgotten to post one.

Similarly a half constructed concrete buildings and a sign board of Sardar Raja Medical College at Jaring is there but this private medical college is yet to be operational.

Four years after foundation laying ceremony of laying down the foundation stone the medical college has not yet obtained the approval of Medical Council of India (MCI).

In absence of proper health care ailing women, children, old and infirm are suffering a lot.

Similarly poor infrastructure brings owes to the entire rural folks.

Hati River used to be a dry one in summer before the UIHP came into operation.

So the requirement of a permanent bridge over Hati River was not felt.

However, after UIHP came to operation now even in dry summer season normal water level flowing in the river is four to six feet high as water from Indravati River is diverted to Hati River through Indravati dam.

Therefore, now people living in this part of in KBK region are finding it difficult to cross the river.

Blockage of one of the major routes, NH 201 in the region by overflowing Hati river water near Junagarh of Kalahandi in rainy days has been a routine and serious concern since past decade affecting million of commuters.

It is also affecting road movement from Rourkela, Sambalpur, Balangir, Angul and Bhawanipatna to Jeypore, Sunabeda, Damanjodi, Nawarngpur and Koraput and vice versa.

At present Hati river needs at least five more new bridges at various points.

Foundation stone laid by Chief Minister Naveen patnaik in 2003 for a new bridge over Hati River at Kalampur, brought cheers among the local populace but unfortunately the work is yet to start.

A high level new bridge is also required over Hati River near Junagarh on NH 201 over the present low lying bridge.

Despite public demand since last one decade by the local commuters for a new bridge over NH 201 near Junagarh the state government turns a deaf ear.