MALKANGIRI: Protesting Polavaram project, the tribals from three nighbouring
States Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattishgarh (AOC)
have started ‘Jaldikshya andolan’ (protest dharna in the water) at the project
site in Andhra Pradesh on Monday.
Under the banner of the Protest
Against Polavaram Project (PAPP), hundreds of tribals from of Malkangiri
district in Odisha, Sukma district in Chhattishgarh and tribals from Andhra
Pradesh, who would be displaced due to the project, unitedly protested the
project staging dharna in the water of Godavari-Saberi meeting place at
Kunavaram of Khamam district in Andhra Pradesh.
On the very first day of the
protest movement, members of PAPP strongly condemned the Andhra Pradesh
Government for its dangerous project which would destroy the tribals and their
habitat to build the giant dam. The protesters staged demonstration flaunting
placards inside the water demanding the Andhra Pradesh Government put an
immediate stop to the project.
From the beginning of the
project, most of the social organisations, State Governments and social
activists were opposing the project, but the Andhra Pradesh Government is not
in a mood to listen all these voices. Particularly, the Odisha Government has
been protesting the project as 2,120 hectares of land in Malkangiri district of
the State would be submerged in the water. Even a dam on Saberi and Sileru
River would be constructed for the
project that would also displace many tribal people from their own habitat.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had
written a letter to the Prime Minister on July 24 to intervene into the matter.
Patnaik also staged a protest meeting at Malkangiri recently opposing the
project.
The Chhatishgarh Government is
also protesting the project as it affects 2,000 hectares of land in Sukma area
of the State. Opposing the decision of the Andhra Pradesh Government, the two
States has appealed before the apex court and the matter is in subjudice now.
No comments:
Post a Comment