Jal Sanjog Yatra reaches Berhampur

The march undertaken demanding linking of three rivers in State

The ‘Jal Sanjog Yatra' reached the Berhampur city on March 07. Warm welcome was accorded to the participants of the march taken up for the demand of linking of Vansadhara, Rushikulya and Mahanadi rivers of Orissa. It started from the banks of the Vansadhara river at Kasinagar in Gajapati district on March 05.

More than 200 women and men of different organisations of South Orissa are taking part in the ‘yatra'. The march will conclude in Bhubaneswar on March 12 when the delegates of the march would hand over the mixed water of Vansadhara, Rushikulya and Mahanadi to the Orissa Governor as a symbolic gesture for the demand to expedite the work on the river linking project.

A public meeting was organised at old bus stand in Berhampur city to create public awareness about the need of river linking in the State. The leader of the ‘Jal Sanjog Yatra', the former deputy speaker of the State Assembly, Ram Chandra Panda said various organisations participating in the march have decided to start indefinite dharna in front of the office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner, Southern Division from the month of May if the State government failed to initiate any measures for the establishment of the river linking project and measures to eradicate perennial drinking water crisis in Silk city Berhampur.

He asked the State government to come up with some concrete measures for the alleviation of drinking water crisis in the city rather than making promises like past years. There were demands for release of funds for the proposed Chheligada irrigation project from which water is to be brought to the city. The activists of the yatra said they wanted work, not promises from the government. The activists of the ‘yatra' felt river linking project is the only way to save water scarce areas of South Orissa and to reduce regular floods to the Mahanadi.

Source: The Hindu