Kendrapara (SunstarTV Bureau): Tension prevailed after thousands of villagers have a skirmish with police while protesting the proposed drinking water project on Kharasrota River on Thursday at Bharigada village under Rajkanika block here.
Notably, yesterday the district administration had clamped prohibitory orders under the Section 144 of CrPC in Balakati, Bharigada and Barunadiha Gram Panchayats under Rajkanika block till October 8 to expedite the project work.
Opposing drawl of water from the river for supplying piped water to people of Bhadrak district, agitators, including women and children under the banner of Kharasrota Sangram Samiti today assembled in the prohibitory area flouting COVID-19 Appropriate Behavior and staged demonstration. As part of the protest, they blocked the Barundiha road and damaged the barricades.
When the situation turned violent, police personnel intervened to bring the situation under control leading to a face-off between the activists and the cops.
This week on Monday, hundreds of villagers had blocked the Cuttack-Chandbali road as a mark of protest, following which police had detained many of them to avoid any unpleasant situation.
Today, the activists resorted to an intensified protest after a meeting held with district administration last evening did not come to a favorable conclusion. Meanwhile, the district administration has deployed 12 platoons of police force in the area.
