IIT, Hyderabad denies conducting any environmental and social impact study on mega piped water supply project at Bhariguda

Kendrapada : The IIT Hyderabad has denied having conducted any environmental and social impact study on mega piped water supply project at Bhariguda under Rajnagar block on Kharasrota river to supply water to Bhadrak district.
IIT Hyderabad said this Monday while replying to a RTI query made by a rights activist Pratap Chandra Mohanty .
Mr Mohanty had submitted an application on August 27 last seeking a copy of the report of the environmental and social impact study reportedly prepared by the IIT Hyderabad on the proposed mega pipe water supply project and submitted it to the state government.
Responding to the RTI application of Mr Mohanty, the Deputy Registrar and CPIO of IIT , Hyderabad ,Syed Ali Sabeer,in a letter on September 27 last said no such report has been submitted by IIT, Hyderabad to the Government of Odisha.
Mr Mohanty, also sought information from IIT Hyderabad about the date on which the Odisha government asked IIT Hyderabad for conducting environmental and social impact study of the said mega piped water supply project and to provide the copy of letter, including details of date on which study team visited for study in Odisha and name of the study team members with designations.
IIT Hyderabad in its reply informed the applicant that Odisha government has not awarded any such work to the institute.
Kendrapara district collector Amrut Ruturaj earlier told the media that a 173 page DPR was prepared by IIT, Hyderabad. As per the report,only 5 per cent of water would be drawn for the mega piped water project for both the projects ,including Bhadrak and Kanika-Aul projects . The river will not dry nor will it have any adverse impact on Bhitarkanika Bio -diversity and also on the environment of the locality .
The RTI activist condemned the state government and district administration for falsely claiming that the IIT Hyderabad had conducted the environmental and social impact study.
In the latest development, the High court yesterday has granted conditional bail to 23 Kharasrota Banchao Sangram Samiti( KBSS) members.who were agitating against the proposed project,
Rajkanika police had arrested as many as 24 persons on the charge of assaulting police personnel during a face off with police on August 12 last .
Rajkanika police tried to prevent the protestors agitating under the banner of Kharasrota Banchao Sangram Samiti(KBSS) to go to Barunidiha , the proposed project site violating prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 CrPC in the locality.