WATER FOR INDUSTRY

  Recent developments in Orissa on the issue of use of water from the reservoir of Hirakud for some upcoming industries in the area only highlighted the monumental insensitivity in some quarters to the interest of farmers. That a few industries, as reported, could even have been emboldened to take initiative on their own to exploit surface water in anticipation of approval of the government only indicated the extent of rapport some industries have in certain quarters. Since the issue is important enough for the people of the state, it is necessary that the matter be viewed in the proper perspective.

 Hirakud reservoir is after all only a small one with limited live-storage capacity. The mighty Mahanadi contributes to the sea fifty million acre-feet of water in a year where as the live-storage of the reservoir at Hirakud was for 4.47 million acre-feet. Siltation for over half a century has reduced the capacity to 3.9 million acre-feet. This capacity in the context of the annual water flow can be stated to be small and therefore I have chosen to say that Hirakud reservoir is a small one. Hirakud irrigation system provides direct irrigation to 1.62 lakh hectare or about four lakh acres. Its seven power generating units have an installed capacity of (37.5x7) 262.5 MW. At a short distance downstream, at Chiplima, there is another power generating station where we have only two units each having a capacity of 24MW though there was a plan for having seven generating units of 24 MW each. Land had been acquired long ago for all the seven units to be set up. There has been heavy encroachment of the acquired land and a long spell of soft governance has prevented the state from the benefit of 120 MW of power for nearly thirty years.

In the delta of the Mahanadi, 9.77 lakh acres have the facility of irrigation. More area in the deltaic region needs to be irrigated and Brahmagiri and Kakatpur areas should get the benefit of irrigation. Perennial flow of water on the Mahanadi following power generation at Hirakud has stabilized rabi cultivation in the command area of the Mahanadi system.

 There is just no water available at the reservoir of Hirakud for industry. Drawing of water for industry can only be at the cost of irrigation. Even today the tail-end lands of Hirakud system finds itself in water-stress situations and it would be only compounding the owes of farmers if water is allowed to be drawn from the reservoir for industries. Such of the irrigation engineers who are giving their nod under some compulsion and saying that water is available for industrial use are just not acting professionally and may have to be held accountable to the public for their role.

 While we witnessed a grand (and still continuing) inauguration of the MoU opera and rolling out of red carpet for entrepreneurs to “add value to the minerals” of the state, the concerned people did not seem to have done the homework. Not only did they not work out an appropriate water policy for industry, they did not have an appropriate mineral concession policy either. A preponderant position in the mining sector should have been accorded to the Orissa Mining Corporation, Industrial Development Corporation and a few new public sector entities who could have got the mines; develop them and sold minerals to the incoming industries. We however chose to keep the Orissa Mining Corporation as an unseemly bonsai instead of making it a trans national mining company, as has been the case in Gujarat. And Industrial Development Corporation seems to have been kept in an oxygen tent close to a morgue. Even we seemed to have looked the other way when some entrepreneurs were eyeing on water meant for the farmers.

 We may now examine if there was any alternative that the government should have considered and yet did not. There is alternative available, which government should have taken recourse to. We should have learnt from the precedent, which was created in our own state more than half a century ago, while Government of India decided to set up the integrated steel plant at Rourkela. A Dam was built on the Sankh River, known as Mandira Dam, at considerable cost so that water could be available for the steel mill. The steel project funded the water project. Why we have not insisted on similar approach for the industries now is a mystery. Rather there are instances where eulogizing words have been spoken in public for the human face of the philanthropic corporate houses when they undertake a mere health camp or start a modest industrial training facility! For those industries that have their heart and eyes on the blue waters of Hirakud reservoir, the alternative is to look at the Ib River. This is a tributary that joins the Mahanadi upstream of the reservoir. A dam on the river with canal system would irrigate three lakh acres of land in Sundargarh district, which badly needs irrigation. The project would utilise 3000 cusecs of water out of which six hundred cusecs would again be available downstream through regeneration. This regenerated quantity would be adequate for all the industrial projects that are now poised to use water meant for our farmers. Even if the entire project costs Rs1500 crore, the industries should be asked to fund the project fully. This is only a small fraction of their promised investment in the state. The irrigation project may take years to be completed. While this project could go on, the industries may have a flood-cut off the Ib River just below the ayacut of the Ib irrigation system. A diversion weir could be constructed and around 600 cusecs drawn therefrom to meet the requirement of the industries.

 Such an approach should also be followed in case of industries that are being contemplated downstream the Mahandi, near the coast. That would be in the overall interest of the state and would make harmonious growth of agriculture and industry possible. A prosperous agrarian economy in close proximity to an industrial hub would always be an antidote to deprivation and social strife. An enlightened and people-friendly government should work on such an agenda rather than facilitate use of farmers’ water from any existing project for industrial projects. National water policy accords the need of drinking water the first priority on use of the water resource. Then comes the need of irrigation. If there is surplus of water then only the industrial use is permissible. Our farmers have been saying the same thing. We must act quickly and show our maturity.  As a matter of policy, no industry should be allowed to draw water from an existing irrigation facility. Fortunately our state is rich on water resource. It is another matter that not enough on irrigation sector is being done; but our industries must make their own arrangement at their cost.

1.12.2013

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