Bhubaneswar, Aug 20: On Saturday, the ruling BJD Party in Odisha started Kalash Yatra, demanding immediate stoppage of construction work of barrages on the upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi River by Chhattisgarh Government.
The women wing of the ruling party, Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD) will conduct Kalash Yatra in six districts in western Odisha- Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur town, Deogarh, Balangir and Sonepur, between August 20 and August 25.
In Bargarh, under the leadership of local MLA and Handloom and Textiles Minister Snehangini Chhuria and Surjya Narayan Patro, the women under BMJD took out a Kalash Yatra taking water from Jira River and later organized a protest meeting near Gandhi Square.
Surjya Narayan Patro said that the neighbouring State is attempting to divert the river water and constructing projects without getting clearance from Central Water Commission. Chhattisgarh has not taken the Odisha Government into confidence.
He further said that the battle will be on to put pressure on the Chhattisgarh and Union Governments to immediately halt the projects being undertaken by Chhattisgarh on Mahanadi.
