Pradeep Singh

Bhubaneswar: Protest over the Polavaram project has once again intensified with people from four states- Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, coming together to raise voice against the project on Sunday.

As per reports, several organisations from the four states held a meeting at Chintoor in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh and alleged that the project will submerge several villages of the concerned states. They also alleged that the livelihood of thousands of people will get adversely affected due to the project.

"Without taking people's consent, the central government is encouraging the project and providing all assistance. We will intensify our protest if the construction work is not stopped immediately," alleged a protestor.

It is feared that the Polavaram project may lead to submergence of thousands of acres of forest and agricultural land and displacement of tribals in several parts of Malkangiri district in Odisha.

Earlier in July this year, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to stop the construction work of the project. He had also said that the project would lead to submergence of tribal villages in the State resulting in mass displacement of primitive tribals, flooding of fertile agriculture land and submergence of large tracts of forests.

"All these can be avoided if an opportunity is given for a final resolution of the dispute pending before the Supreme Court. If the Polavaram project is allowed to be completed before the resolution of all the pending cases, it will cause permanent injury to the interest of Odisha and its people,” Patnaik had said.

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