The ruling BJD today launched its fortnight-long agitation against the Chhattishgarh government's act of constructing projects in upstream of river Mahanadi.
The agitation, which would spread to 15 districts likely to be affected due to Chhattishgarh's project, was launched at Sambalpur district.
The agitation in districts will continue till August 11.
Hundreds of BJD activists led by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister Sanjay Dasburma, who is also the President of the BJD's youth wing, staged demonstration before the Sambalpur Distict Collector's office.
The party also submitted a memorandum to Sambalpur district collector addressed to the President of India.
Alleging that it was part of a conspiracy against Odisha's interest by the BJP, Dasburma said the agitation will continue till the Chhattishgarh govenrment stopped the projects.
He said the neighbouring state constructed projects without consulting Odisha even as Mahanadi is a co-basin river.
Dasburma said the party would stage similar agitation in 14 other districts like Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Subarnapur, Boudh, Angul, Nayagarh, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Cuttack, Puri, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda and Deogarh.
The minister said though the state government had earlier sought the Centre's intervention as Chhattishgarh allegedly took up the projects - 11 major, 8 medium and 7 check dams- without consulting Odisha, the NDA government was yet take action.
He also alleged that the projects were being implemented by Chhattishgarh against the Inter-State Agreement signed between Madhya Pradesh and Odisha in 1983.
Alleging that the Chhattisgarh government is deliberately planning to check inflow of Mahanadi river water to Odisha, BJD has demanded that the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Central government must intervene and stop the work on the project immediately.
