BJD Will Take to the Streets if the Polavaram Issue Is Not Resolved by the Double Engine Government

By Kalinga Voice Last updated Jan 9, 2026

Thousands of Primitive Tribal Groups Will Be Affected Once the Polavaram Project Is Completed
Hundreds of Villages in Malkangiri District Will Be Submerged
The Tribal Chief Minister of the State Should Intervene Immediately for the Cause of Tribals of Odisha

Bhubaneswar, 09/01/2026: The State Government, which claims to be a people’s government, is completely insensitive towards the people of Malkangiri and Odisha. Today, in a press conference held at Sankha Bhawan, Shri Debi Prasad Mishra, Senior Vice President, Biju Janata Dal; Shri Manohar Randhari, MLA; Shri Subhashish Khuntia, MP (Rajya Sabha); and Dr. Priyabrata Majhi, Media Coordinator, stated that under the instructions of Hon’ble President, BJD Shri Naveen Patnaik, a BJD delegation visited the to be affected Motu area of Malkangiri district in August 2024 and the project site of the Polavaram Dam in September 2024. In December 2024 and August 2025, the delegation met the Union Minister for Water Resources and raised concerns regarding the affected people of Malkangiri district. The delegation also met the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupendra Yadav; the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram; and officials of the Central Water Commission, which is executing the project.

Shri Debi Prasad Mishra stated that, as per the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal, the flood discharge capacity was 36 lakh cusecs, the dam height was 140 feet, and the maximum flood discharge level was 150 feet. The maximum submergence level at Konta point was 174.22 feet, where the Saberi and Sileru rivers converge. However, in 2006, the project was unilaterally revised to 50 lakh cusecs without consultation with the affected states, including Odisha, regarding its impact on submergence levels.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has kept the “Stop Work Order” in abeyance from time to time, vide its letters dated 01.01.2014, 23.06.2015, and 12.08.2016, without conducting any public hearing by the project authorities in the affected areas within the territory of Odisha. In view of this, the then Government of Odisha filed Original Suit No. 4/2007 before the Hon’ble Supreme Court against the construction of the Polavaram Project, challenging various clearances granted to this project in violation of standard norms. Odisha also filed an application for amendment of the original suit in light of the declaration of the Polavaram Project as a National Project.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh conducted a backwater study based on the revised flood discharge capacity of 50 lakh cusecs, and the submergence level at Konta was revised to 220 feet. Subsequently, the then Government of Odisha requested IIT Roorkee to conduct a backwater study. IIT Roorkee reported that the flood discharge capacity would be 58 lakh cusecs, and the submergence level at Konta point would reach 232 feet.

Shri Mishra further stated that the BJD has been continuously demanding a fresh backwater study to be conducted by an independent organization with adequate technical expertise, as the project’s scope has been revised. There are no valid environmental clearances from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for the revised project parameters. BJD has also consistently raised concerns regarding the inadequacy of the proposed Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) plans for the tribal people.

Shri Manohar Randhari emphasized that a large number of primitive tribal people and their livelihoods would be adversely affected if the project is completed without addressing their concerns. Numerous forest resources on which these primitive and other tribal groups depend for survival will also be destroyed.

Shri Subhashish Khuntia, MP (Rajya Sabha), stated that the BJD has raised the issue repeatedly in Parliament and posed several questions to the concerned ministers. However, no satisfactory or concrete answers have been provided, raising doubts about the project’s intent and transparency. He reaffirmed that the BJD will continue to fight for the cause of the tribals and the people of Malkangiri, both in Odisha and in Delhi.

Dr. Priyabrata Majhi remarked that the so-called “people’s government” in Odisha is headed by a Tribal Chief Minister. He questioned why, despite thousands of primitive tribal groups and other tribal communities in Malkangiri being affected, the Chief Minister has remained completely silent on the issue. “In the last 18 months, how many letters has he written to the Union Ministers for Water Resources, Tribal Affairs, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change, or to the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and the Prime Minister of India?” he asked. He further stated that the BJP Government is shedding crocodile tears for the development of tribals while ignoring their real suffering.

The BJD leaders concluded that if the Double Engine Government fails to resolve the issues affecting the tribals and people of Malkangiri, the Biju Janata Dal will be compelled to take to the streets to fight for their rights and justice.