HC notice to Essar, government on Baitarani water

The Orissa High Court on Thursday issued notice to the State Government and Essar Steel Odisha Ltd on the issue of water drawal from the Baitarani river which has had serious impact on Jajpur, Keonjhar and Bhadrak districts.

Acting on a PIL filed by one Rabindra Mallik and five others from the three districts, the division bench of Chief Justice V Gopalagowda and Justice BN Mohapatra has directed the Government and the company to file their response in two weeks.

The Additional Government Advocate has also been directed to inform the court about the steps taken by the Government on the representation filed by the petitioners indicating their grievances.

In the course of hearing, the petitioner stated before the court that including Essar Company, 112 companies are also drawing water from the Baitarani and they should be made parties.

Considering such submission, the court allowed the petitioner to make all those companies as opposite parties in the writ petition.

The writ petition was filed opposing drawal of water from the Baitarani by Essar Steel by constructing a slurry pipeline from Keonjhar to Paradip which is about 253 km. They have alleged that the Baitarani is the lifeline of three districts and such huge diversion of water would leave the river dry resulting in serious problems to the farmers.