Naveen Patnaik

Bhubaneswar, April 4: Ignoring protests from the Orissa government, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy today laid the foundation stone for the offshore reservoir across Mahendra Tanaya, a tributary of the inter-state Vamsadhara river, at Regulapadu in Palasa mandal.

The event evoked angry protests in Parlakhemundi town and the surrounding villages, with the Mahendratanaya Surakhya Manch activists holding an all-party rally and burning effigies of Reddy.

The Rs 127 crore project of Andhra Pradesh would adversely affect the drinking water supply as well as irrigation in Paralakhemundi and nearby areas, allege the Manch leaders.

In a retaliatory measure, the Orissa government on Wednesday had announced its plan to build a barrage on the Mahendratanaya soon.

“Orissa will soon construct a barrage at the upper end of the Mahendratanaya,” said chief minister Naveen Patnaik while directing the finance department to include the project in the state plan during 2008-09. In a letter to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, Naveen had strongly opposed the move stating that people living on the upstream would be affected.

Patnaik also wanted to know if the Andhra government’s move had received clearance from the Central Water Commission.

“Neither the commission nor the Andhra Pradesh government had informed Orissa regarding the proposed dam,” he said, alleging that this was in violation of a riparian pact.

The Andhra government’s move would also change the course of the river and people in Parlakhemundi town would be deprived of drinking water, he had apprehended.

Earlier, on March 17, state water resources secretary had written a letter to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart seeking the details and the present status of the proposed off-shore irrigation project on Mahendra Tanaya river.

He had also requested him to stop the project work until its site was jointly inspected by senior engineers of both the governments and a consensus was arrived at.