We have to protect rivers, says Medha
Berhampur: The State government's proposal to construct a dam at Pipalapanka in Sorada block of Ganjam district on the banks of Rushikulya river faced resistance from environmentalists and civil society leaders. Environmental activist Medha Patkar lent her support to Rushikulya Banchao Kriyanusthan Committee and Centre for Climate Justice during a public gathering at Potalampur near Chhatrapur. 'When rivers die, civilisations crumble,' she said, urging women and grassroots workers to stand as sentinels of nature. 'Let no river be chained without the people's consent,' she said, pressing for stronger laws to safeguard natural resources. 'Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother.
We have to protect the rivers from attacks,' Medha said. The proposed Pipalapanka reservoir, estimated to cost Rs 1,035 crore, is yet to obtain forest clearance. Opponents allege that the project is tailored to benefit corporate behemoths at the cost of community and ecology. 'No corporate agenda can override people's rights over nature,' asserted Abani Gaya and Gagan Chandra Mallick during a joint rally organised by All India Kheta Mazdoor Kisan Sabha and Manab Adhikar Surakhya Manch in Berhampur. A memorandum opposing the dam was submitted to the Chief Minister through the RDC of the Southern Division. On the other hand, senior BJP leaders, including former deputy speaker Ram Chandra Panda and BJP panel spokesperson T Gopi, favoured the construction of the dam.
They hailed it as a transformative step to harness Rushikulya's monsoon bounty and argued that such development is essential to irrigate over 3,000 hectares and quench the thirst of Berhampur, Aska, Purushottampur and adjoining towns. 'Opposition to this project is anti-people and anti-progress,' they stated, recalling the colonial and post-independence legacy of water projects like Sorada, Janibili and Baghua that shaped the agrarian prosperity of the region. But amid the debate, one truth resonates—the Rushikulya river, born in the misty heights of Daringbadi and flowing into the Bay of Bengal at Puruna Bandha, is gasping for breath. With five dry months a year, vanishing forest cover and erratic rains, the river now finds itself at the crossroads of policy, politics and preservation.
As the battle between development and dissent intensifies, the voice of Rushikulya rises—not in words, but in whispers through her parched beds and fractured flow, awaiting a future where justice and sustainability may finally find a confluence.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
36 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Future generation won't forgive us': Paatil warns voters of Visavadar against voting for any party
Urging the voters to not 'repeat their mistakes', Union minister and Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil, on Monday, called upon the party workers and people of Visavadar assembly constituency to make the BJP candidate victorious otherwise the 'future generation won't forgive us'. Paatil made these remarks while campaigning for the by-election of Visavadar Assembly constituency of Saurashtra. The seat has fallen vacant following the resignation of AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani who later joined the BJP. Addressing a gathering of party workers in Visavadar constituency, Paatil said, 'This time there should not be any mistake. We have to look after the future generation as well. Future generation won't forgive us (saying) that 'you have made mistakes repeatedly'. Correct your (past) mistakes this time. Resolve to make BJP candidate Kirit Patel victorious this time to keep the voters of Visavadar and their future generation in front of the road of development.' Kirit Patel, a former Junagadh district president of BJP and a cooperative leader, is BJP candidate for the by-election. Kirit Patel is facing a challenge from AAP's Gopal Italia and Congress candidate Nitin Ranpariya. Paatil said, 'Entire country is developing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Entire world is impressed by him. Only Visavadar is facing hurdles in its development. Forget the mistake. You might have done experiments which have failed. Doesn't matter. But (make sure that) this time there is no mistake committed'. 'There is a need to make the BJP candidate victorious to keep Visavadar in leading position… on the path of development in the country and for the development which is needed for the future generation of Visavadar,' he said. BJP has not won the Visavadar constituency for the past several years and Paatil called upon the party workers to win it this time. 'BJP has never learnt to lose. And it has also not learnt to leave a constituency if it loses it,' Paatil said. Without taking any name, during his speech, Paatil asked people not to get misled by certain people who spread misconceptions. Voting for the by-election is scheduled on June 19. After the Pahalgam attack the entire country believed and expected 'kuch bada karna chahiye', 'kuch bada hona chahiye', Paatil said later in the day even as he mentioned that 'not a single soldier was harmed and everyone returned safely' while campaigning for the by-election in Mehsana district's Kadi Assembly constituency. He made these remarks while campaigning for Rajendra Chavda, the party candidate from Kadi for the June 19 by-election. Referring to the Operation Sindoor, Paatil said, 'Under Modi's leadership, not only the country but the world knew that kuch bada hoga. Operation Sindoor was a revenge of the Pahalgam attack.' 'As decided by PM Modi, (the missile attack was carried out) five hours for the first time, two-and-a-half hours for second time and 30 minutes for the third time but within 23 minutes nine locations of the terrorists were attacked and finished and the terrorists were killed. Not a single soldier was harmed and everyone returned safely. This is Modi's power, this is India's power, everyone's power and the country wants to strengthen this power,' Paatil said. Appealing to the voters in Kadi to 'create a record' with high number of votes for Rajendra Chavda, Paatl said that for Kadi election the issue is not of development but 'to make BJP candidate win by a record number'. 'Today such an environment is created in the entire country after Operation Sindoor that every voter wants to strengthen Modi's hands. They were confident that Modi hai toh mumkin hai. During the surgical strike within three hours more than 300 terrorists were killed by our soldiers who returned safely,' Paatil added.
The Hindu
37 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Manoj Jha questions Centre's intentions for caste census
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha on Monday (June 9, 2025) raised serious concerns over the Centre's intentions for the caste census. Mr. Jha said the policies of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were not only anti-reservation, but also conspiring to mislead the Backward Classes (BC) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBC). He alleged that the government was pretending in the name of a caste census, and there was a lack of transparency in the entire process. 'After the painful incident of Pahalgam, suddenly the Prime Minister realised that it is necessary to conduct a caste census as per the demand of most of the people, so he announced it in a hurry. But the move, character and face of the BJP, which has always been anti-Bahujan and against reservation, is now visible,' Mr. Jha said while addressing the press at the party office in Patna. 'Our national president Lalu Prasad ji has been warning that those who follow Bunch of Thoughts politics on the ideas of Guru Golwalkar can never be serious about reservation, which is now clearly visible,' he added. Mr. Jha asserted that the Centre wanted to create confusion in the name of the caste census and questioned the reason behind the government announcing that population figures for OBCs would not be released. He added that such figures were necessary as per Article 340 of the Constitution, he added. 'When the castes are counted and the figures are not revealed, then which policy will be implemented towards reservation and increasing the reservation in the private sector? NITI Aayog and other agencies can work on planning, social, economic upliftment and increasing reservation on the basis of data only when the data comes from the government level,' Mr. Jha said. Accompanied by the party's chief spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav and national vice-president of the party Uday Narayan Choudhary at the press briefing, Mr. Jha pointed said that besides party leader Tejashwi Yadav, leaders from the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) were also in favour of the figures being published. Mr. Choudhary, on the other hand, said that the caste census was a hoax and nothing had been disclosed in this regard. He explained that the caste survey was conducted in Bihar under pressure from Mr. Yadav. Still, the 65% reservation benefit was not being given because the intention of the BJP and the Nitish Kumar government was not right, he charged. Tejashwi's demands Earlier in the day, in a post on X, Mr. Yadav addressed Chief Miniser Kumar about responding to his letter dated June 5 on increasing the reservation to 85% for all deprived classes in Bihar. 'Nitish ji you did not respond to my letter, is it because you have no answer or your officials do not show you the letters? The parties that beat the drum of social justice, on whose strength the Modi government is running, why are they failing to include the 65% reservation limit increased by our government in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution?' Mr. Yadav asked. 'The Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, Jitan Ram Manjhi, Upendra Kushwaha should speak out on the issue of reservation against this injustice faced by Dalit, Adivasi, backward, and extremely backward classes. Politics is not just about clinging to power,' he added. Mr. Yadav further said, 'If all these people cannot even get this small demand fulfilled by the Prime Minister, then their politics and staying in such an alliance is shameful. If Nitish Ji is unable to speak on this issue in front of the Prime Minister and Home Minister, then he should call a special one-day session of the Assembly, and then see how we get it implemented.'
The Hindu
41 minutes ago
- The Hindu
West Bengal BJP holds rally over TMC leader's ‘vile' remarks on women
The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a Nari Samman Yatra on Monday (June 9, 2025) to protest derogatory remarks made by Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal directed at the wife and mother of the Officer-in-Charge of Bolpur Police Station. The Trinamool Congress let the Birbhum strongman off with an apology, but the police have registered an FIR. The BJP, to register their protest, organised a major procession in Bolpur, which was led by Suvendu Adhikari. Speaking at a meeting in Bolpur, Mr. Adhikari said that the mother and wife who were insulted represent the honour of all women in the State. 'Anubarta (Mondal) used this language against the Officer-in-Charge, directing it at his wife and mother. Can someone utter such language? Had Yogi Adityanath been the Chief Minister he would have been in prison,' Mr. Adhikari said at the rally. Anubrata Mondal appeared before the police on June 5, several days after an FIR was registered against him at Bolpur Police station. The FIR was in connection with an audio where Mr. Mondal is heard abusing and threatening the police officer using vile language not only against him but also towards his wife and mother. Referring to the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, the BJP leader claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could not understand the pain of another woman and offered ₹10 lakh to the parents of the victim, which they refused. It is now 10 months since the gruesome rape and murder, and a crowd had gathered outside Tala Police Station in Kolkata, under whose jurisdiction the crime was reported on August 9, 2024. OBC Yatra Mr. Adhikari announced that after the Nari Samman Yatra, the BJP leadership in the State is planning to organise a OBC Adhikaar Yatra. On Sunday the BJP leader held a protest rally at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas. Women leaders of Trinamool, including Minister Sashi Panja, and MP Kakuli Ghosh Dastidar, held a press conference in Kolkata and said that the BJP has no right to speak of honour and respect for women. 'Women cannot take any more insults from the BJP. Yesterday, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, while speaking at Sandeshkhali, said that women should not sell their shankha-sindoor for ₹500–1,000 for the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme.' Lakshmir Bhandar is a cash incentive scheme of the West Bengal government that was launched in February 2021, under which ₹1,200 per month is given to women in reserved categories, and ₹1,000 to women from the general category. 'Lakshmir Bhandar is not a handout. It is the lifeline of Bengal's women. And as long as Smt. @MamataOfficial is at the helm, no force can snatch that away. Insulting Bengal's women will cost you dearly,' the Trinamool Congress said in a statement on social media.'
