Cuttack, April 3: The Mahanadi Banchao Andolan (MBA) has sought the state government’s direction to all industries, including Posco, to find out alternative source of water, other than river or groundwater source, stored for agriculture and drinking purposes.

The MBA has urged chief minister Naveen Patnaik “to amend all MoUs with industrial houses and incorporate a provision for creation of water reservoir at their own cost, which will not affect agriculture, environment and create further problem in supply of drinking water”.

“The government is going to renew the Posco accord. Again we urge the government not to allow it to draw water from the Mahanadi Barrage at Jobra or at Naraj Barrage,” said Gouranga Charan Hota, convenor of MBA.

“The memorandum was submitted as part of our movement against the state government’s decision to allow use of water from the Mahanadi river for industries,” committee spokesperson Dilip Malik said today.

“It is high time the government should create alternative source of storing water in the Mahanadi by constructing small barrages, weirs to cater to the farmers’ needs as well as industrial requirement. Industrial houses should invest resources for creation of alternative source of storing water,” Hota said.

An estimated 72 per cent of the total rain water flows in the Mahanadi river during rainfall in the state in June, July, August and September. Around 57 per cent of the run off water go to ocean.

“The state government is making list of MoUs with different steel plants and power plants to provide water from perennial source of the Mahanadi and its tributaries,” Hota said. he further pointed out that the state pollution board had time and again indicated about the pollution of the Mahanadi water due to discharge of effluent by the companies and municipal bodies. “The state government should take steps to less the pollution,” he said.