Odisha: BJD to launch ‘Mahanadi Surakshya Abhiyan’ on May 16

Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today announced to launch ‘Mahanadi Surakshya Abhiyan’ on May 16, a campaign to protect Mahanadi- the lifeline of Odisha.

The campaign to be launched on both sides of the river from Ambavona and Lakhanpur respectively in Bargarh and Jharsuguda districts would be flagged off by BJD president and State Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik which will cover a distance of 1585 kms passing through 15 districts and 45 constituencies and culminate at Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district.

“Mahanadi Surakshya Abhiyan will be launched on both sides of the river from Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district and Ambavona in Bargarh district. It will pass through different constituencies along the course of the river and end at Paradip,” informed Debi Prasad Mishra, BJD vice president addressing a presser here today.

The BJD’s campaign will primarily focus on sensitizing people along the course of the river against Chhattisgarh’s bullying and Centre’s partisan attitude towards Odisha with regard to Mahanadi.

The party has planned to engage students, youths, women, farmers, fisher folk, intellectuals and people from all walks of life in the campaign.

The party will indulge in various activities like holding public meetings, street corner plays, jal aartis, motorcycle rallies etc to enlighten the masses on the conspiracy to turn Mahanadi into a dry river and how that is going to affect their lives and livelihoods.

“The purpose of this campaign is to especially further build up and sharpen public opinion in Odisha against the conspiracy of the BJP governments at Chhattisgarh and Centre to dry up Mahanadi,” said Prasanna Acharya, BJD vice president, who also addressed the press meet.

On the other hand, Congress has termed it as drama for votes, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the BJD of crying in wilderness when it has done nothing to store Mahanadi’s water which is draining into the sea.

“That which is happening now is nothing but political drama or drama for votes,” commented newly-elected Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik.

“53 percent of Mahanadi’s water is draining into the sea. Let Naveen babu spell out today how many dams and barrages his government plans to build on Mahanadi. They should stop crying in wilderness,” pointed out Prithvi Raj Harichandan, general secretary BJP State unit.