January - 2014 Odisha Review Agitation Against Mahanadi Valley Development (Hirakud Dam) Project Dr. Janmejay Choudhury The first Congress Ministry in Odisha took the possibility of a flood which, if it recurs, is enough oath of Office and Secrecy on 19th July 1937. to upset the budget and sap away the vitality, not Besides the Prime Minister Biswanath Das, two to speak of the taxable capacity of the people.”2 other ministers were Nityananda Kanungo and On 29 October 1937, all ministers met Mahatma Bhodhram Dube. Four parliamentary secretaries Gandhi in Calcutta and discussed with him the were also taken later on and other were Jadumani problem of Odisha, especially its flood problem, Mangaraj, Jagannath Mishra, Raja Krushna Bose with which Gandhiji was well acquainted from the and Radha Krushna Biswasroy. The Ministry days of his contact with Gopabandhu. On his continued in office till 4 November 1939, i.e., it advice the government of Odisha secured the remained in power for about two years and four service of Sir Visvesvaraya, an eminent engineer months. The party High Command gave direction of India, who examined the problem on the basis to all such Congress ministers and fixed up certain of the Odisha Flood Committee report. codes of conduct for them. Besides the congress According to his suggestion, essential data was programmes and policies which were given effect collected for enabling experts for further to by the Ministry in Odisha, it had to endeavor examination of the problem. Once again an expert seriously to tackle a number of problems. Odisha committee consisting of three engineers, C.C. was one of the poorest provinces in the country Inglis, Director of Central Irrigation and Hydro- and its annual budget was hardly two crores of dynamic Research Station, M.Rangayya, retired rupees. But within the limited resources, the chief engineer of Mysore and the Chief engineer Congress Ministry tried its best to keep up the of Odisha. The committee met twice in Odisha promises of the party and its ideals. Naturally it and visited different flood-affected areas. The became very popular in the province within a short Special flood Division under a special officer was period.1 kept at the disposal of the committee and it put The Congress leaders were aware of the all relevant, necessary and useful papers covering problem. “Odisha can never hope to have a hundred or more years for examination.3 Lord satisfactory budget”, the Premier said, “unless the Linlithgow, during his visit to Odisha by the end flood problem is solved. Floods recur during the of July 1939, spoke about the matter with rainy season long after the budget is framed. It is seriousness, but the government awaited the left, therefore, to human imagination to gauge the report and recommendations of the expert 85 Odisha Review January - 2014 committee for rendering necessary assistance on India, about this matter and observed: “ I am trying the matter.4 Before the work was over, the ministry to get ahead with the construction of the first dam resigned and the problem could not be tackled in the Mahanadi scheme and would like if possible before Independence. to get Sir Hawthorne Lewis to lay the foundation stone of a dam at Sambalpur before he hands During this First Congress Ministry, Sri over charge of the Province at the end of March. M. Visvesvaraya, the renowned engineer, who The finance will undoubtedly have to be found by was asked to examine the flood problem of the centre, but presumably Odisha will contribute Odisha, specially laid stress on the construction when the profits begin to accrue”.5 In fact, Sir of dams. In 1943 a terrible flood occurred in Hawthrone Lewis, the Governor of Odisha, laid Odisha. The government of India, when reported the foundation stone at the probable site of the about the matter, got an opportunity to examine dam in March 1946 just before the Congress all past records. At the time the question of Ministry headed by H.K.Mahtab took charge of Damadar Valley Project in the north, Tungabhadra the administration in Odisha. Mahtab tried to Project in the south and several other projects in expedite the preliminary survey and investigation different parts of the country were under work. It was found that some villages were to be consideration. Naturally the attention of the evacuated for providing necessary space for Government of India was also drawn to the construction of the dam and its reservoir. problem of Mahanadi, the biggest river in Odisha. Naturally it involved inconveniences and miseries The representatives of the Government of India for large number of people who would be shifted and the provincial Government met in a conference at Cuttack on 8 November 1945 with Dr. to some other places. The government was aware Ambedkar, Labour Member of the Government of the problem. It endeavored to explain to the of India, in the chair. The meeting was also people the merits of the project. But then, the attended by the representatives of Eastern State poor villagers, who could not comprehend the Agency and the Government of the Central benefits of such a big project, were extremely Provinces and Bihar. The Conference considered worried and greatly dissatisfied for their eventual the desirability of undertaking forthwith the surveys evacuation leaving their paternal lands in and investigations of the rivers in Odisha with a perpetuity. The prospect of rehabilitation seemed view to the preparation of schemes of unified and to them a very poor compensation to their loss multipurpose development dams for (i) irrrigation and sufferings. Consequently they started anti dam and drainage, (ii) soil conservation,(iii)power agitation against the government in a vehement development, (Iv) navigation, and (v) flood form. On 31 July 1946 Sir Akbar Hidary, the control. Dr. Ambedkar rightly pointed out that the Executive Councilor in charge of the department, real solution of Odisha’s water problems should while assuring H.K.Mahtab about central help in be sought in the construction of multi-purpose the multi-purpose Mahanadi development project, dams. The Chief Engineer of Government of India expressed deep concern for the agitation against then made an air survey of the Mahanadi river to the dam which was gathering momentum at select the site for the dams. The Governor-General Sambalpur. “I would suggest,” He wrote to was also interested for speedy progress of the Mahatab, “You are taking immediate steps to work. On 21 January 1946, Wavell reported to damp it down and clear up misunderstandings Lord Pethic-Lawrence, the secretary of state for which may affect progress and delay or interfere 86 January - 2014 Odisha Review with land acquisition, resettlement and other were concerned primarily with their own operations. Otherwise, I feel that we shall miss a immediate inconveniences, might not have easily good opportunity to do something substantial for understood the benefit of such schemes. the people of Odisha; such an opportunity may However, he enjoined upon the premier that the not come again for a long time to come.”6 decisions of the party was binding on the members and therefore, the Congress members Mahtab brought the matter to the floor should not join anti-dam agitation.9 of the assembly on 5 September 1946 in the form of a simple motion “that the proposed Mahanadi H.K.Mahtab and his colleagues tried their Valley Project be taken into consideration.”7 The best to convince the people of the district about government was determined to stop anti-dam the benefits of the project, but the agitation could agitations in Sambalpur. “If the assembly fails to not be controlled easily. Even police action was regulate the public opinion or if the government considered necessary to stop the movement. In fails to regulate the public opinion according to fact, the anti-Hirakuda dam agitation took a very the planning already decided upon,’ the premier bad political turn in which narrow regional issues warned, “then the Government goes out of were raised, and the common people were existence.” Some members from Sambalpur like unnecessarily involved in the political game of the Laxmi Narayan Mishra and Bodhram Dube interested leaders. However, the government was criticized the policy and pointed out that the determined to counteract such disruptive forces project was neither feasible nor beneficial to the with a strong hand. people of Sambalpur. “In the teeth of opposition of the people, who are going to be landless and Finally, soon after independence, on 28 homeless,” Laxmi Narayan Mishra alleged, “the August 1947, the Assembly unanimously adopted project is going to be pursued…………..I should the resolution regarding the Hirakud Dam Project point out to my hon’ble comrades over here that as follow: “That this Assembly do resolve to take it would be the height of folly, the hearth of cruelty into the consideration the report of the Mahanadi and the height of undemocratic misdemeanor to Valley Development Hirakud Dam Project made sanction that a flourishing tract of 300 villages by Rai Bahadur A.N.Khosla, chairman of the rather be submerged on account of a dubious Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation project, whose merits were not discussed Commission, and that the Government be moved sufficiently well”.8 However, the Premier was very to take all necessary steps to give effect to the firm on this matter and declared that the recommendations made in the report of the government would not stop the project in any Mahanadi Valley Development Hirakud Dam 10 case. Project.” Sri Sailendra Narayan Bhanja Deo, the leader of the project, yet he did not disapprove The matter was even reported to Gandhiji, of it altogether.