By Khetrabasi Mahakud
\nBHUBANESWAR, MAY 17: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday y flagged off the second phase of party\u2019s Mahanadi Surakshya Yatra from Sukhasoda in Odisha\u2019s Jharsuguda district.
\nMahanadi origins from Chhattisgarh and its course in Odisha begins from Sukhasoda.
\nThe second phase of the campaign, launched on both sides of the river from Ambavona and Lakhanpur in Bargarh and Jharsuguda districts respectively, is scheduled to cover a distance of 1585 kms passing through 15 districts and 45 constituencies and culminate at Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district.
\n\u201cMahanadi is the lifeline of Odisha. The \u2018attitude\u2019 of BJP governments at Centre and Chhattisgarh over the Mahanadi matter is against Odisha. The BJP leaders of Odisha are supporting Chhattisgarh in the issue while shedding crocodile tears. If they are concerned about the welfare of Odisha and its people, they should oppose the Chhattisgarh government,\u201d Patnaik said while addressing a gathering at Sukhasoda.
\n\u201cThe BJD-government had moved the Supreme Court for the rights of Odisha, as a result of which Mahanadi tribunal has been constituted. The Mahanadi is drying in Odisha due to construction of barrages by Chhattisgarh. The water-level at Hirakud dam is also decreasing,\u201d the BJD chief said.
\nThe CM said construction of barrages will result in availability of water near the barrages but scarcity along 500-km stretch of Mahanadi. There will be lack of water for cultivation of Rabi crops. The fishermen will also face losses. People are now well aware of the double standards of those who are supporting construction of barrages,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWe will not let Mahanadi to dry. The fight for Mahanadi is not only of the BJD, but also of the people of the state. This fight is for betterment of our future generations,\u201d he concluded.
\nAccording to party sources, public meetings, street corner plays, jal aartis AND motorcycle rallies will be organised during the yatra to sharpen public opinion in Odisha against the conspiracy of the BJP governments at Chhattisgarh and Centre to dry Mahanadi.
\nBesides, handbills and booklets on the Mahanadi would be distributed among people during the campaign.
\nThe state government and the BJD have been opposing construction of barrages upstream of Mahanadi by Chhattisgarh government, thereby checking the flow of water downstream.
\nBoth Chhattisgarh and Odisha governments are at loggerheads over sharing of Mahanadi river water. Odisha moved the Supreme Court accusing Chhattisgarh of constructing barrages unilaterally while the Central government has set up a tribunal to resolve the dispute.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Khetrabasi Mahakud BHUBANESWAR, MAY 17: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday y flagged off the second phase of party\u2019s Mahanadi Surakshya Yatra from<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-top-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n