Andhra barrage land plan in Odisha triggers protests

Odisha's Gajapati district is witnessing strong opposition to the Andhra Pradesh government's proposed Neradi Barrage project, which involves land acquisition on the Odisha side of the border. Local residents and community leaders have voiced outrage, fearing that the acquisition of agricultural and forest land for the barrage will displace families and harm local livelihoods.

The project, planned on the Vamsadhara River, is intended to provide irrigation and drinking water to parts of Andhra Pradesh. However, the land acquisition process in Odisha has been met with resistance from villagers who say they were not consulted. No official statement from either state government has been released as of the report.