Massive siltation results in a dry river bed of the Brahmani. Telegraph picture

Jajpur, Oct. 11: The Brahmani river, life line of lakh of riverside villagers of Jajpur and Kendrapara districts, has become dry due to massive siltation at upper part of it.

Moreover, water consumption by the Kalinga Nagar industries has led to water shortage in nine blocks and three towns in both the districts.

Many affected villagers resolved to launch a crusade against depletion of water at a meet under the aegis of Save Brahmani Committee at Bari in Jajpur district on Sunday.

“The Brahmani is the only water source for over three lakh residents of Bari, Rasulpur, Badachana, Dharmasala, and Jajpur blocks in Jajpur district and Aul, Kendrapada, Pattamundai and Raj Nagar blocks in Kendrapada district. Many steel industries in Kalinganagar have been illegally taking waters from the river resulting in a 60km stretch of dry river bed from Jenapur to Gamu-Krushna Nagar,” said convener of Save Brahmani Committee Gagan Behari Jena.

“We are facing a lot of hard ship to fetch drinking water,” said Ganesh Ghadei of Sukala village.

“Our cultivation has been hit hard due to such malpractice by the industry units,” said farmer Kulamani Sukla.

“Discharge of pollutants from industrial units has turned the Bramahani into large drains,” Sukla said.

“Industrial complexes should harvest rainwater. Water efficient technologies should be adopted. Waste water should be recycled and reused and finally recharged into the ground,” said social activist Biwsajit Mohanty.

Executive engineer of water resources Subrat Das said: “The river has dried up due to diversion of its water to the Kharasrota. Sands deposited at its catchment at Jenapur and Bedipur are to be cleared up for diversion of water into it. We are conducting a survey as per the directive of the state water resources department.”