September 13th 2024.
Residents of Keonjhar district in Odisha experienced a peaceful 12-hour shutdown in the Telkoi area. This was in response to the proposed construction of the Chakdar irrigation project on the Samakoi river. The ‘Chakdar Prakalpa Samanwaya Samiti’ had called for the shutdown. As a result, the National Highway49 at Jagmohanpur was blocked by the protestors since 6 am on Thursday.
The blockade caused a major inconvenience to the commuters as hundreds of vehicles, including line trucks, trailers, and buses, were stranded on both sides of the road. The passengers and drivers had to face a lot of difficulties, and the transportation of essential goods was also disrupted. As a result of the bandh, shops, schools, colleges, and government and private institutions remained closed in Telkoi.
It came to light that the first budget of the BJP government in the state had allocated funds for the Angul Samakoi Barrage project. The proposed construction site for this project is in Chakdar village in the Kardangi panchayat of Telkoi block. This has caused an uproar amongst the locals as they fear the submergence of many villages in Telkoi block once the project is completed.
In response to this, the residents staged a bandh in Telkoi on August 27 and submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, urging him to stop the project. However, with no response from the government, the protestors decided to escalate their protest by blocking the National Highway49 and closing down Telkoi today. Kailash Pradhan, the president of the outfit, stated that this was their way of intensifying the movement.
The protestors, including several women, gathered on the highway, holding placards and chanting slogans against the project. They have made it clear that their movement will continue to gain momentum until the project is withdrawn. In the afternoon, the Keonjhar Sub-Collector Umakanta Dalei, along with other senior officers, arrived at the spot and held discussions with the agitators.
According to Babulal Pradhan, the outfit's advisor, the Sub-Collector has assured them that within seven days, a meeting will be organized between the representatives of the Irrigation department and the locals to discuss the project. He added that the blockade was lifted after receiving this assurance. Keonjhar Collector Vishal Singh also stated that they have received the memorandum and have promised to organize a meeting between the Irrigation department and the representatives of the outfit to clarify any doubts or concerns regarding the project. He also assured that as per the new plan, no village will be submerged, and this will be made clear to the locals during the meeting.
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