Study points to Mahanadi’s declining health

Bhubaneswar: A new study on the Mahanadi river has painted a grim picture of the declining health of Odisha’s largest river system, warning that pollution, sand mining, shrinking fish stocks and weakening river flows are threatening the livelihoods, culture and social fabric of communities dependent on it.The report, ‘Mahanadi: Lifeline of Margins’, published by Janamangal Mahila Samiti (JMS), a not-for-profit organisation, is based on a year-long field study across 33 locations in the river basin. It found that 94% of respondents believed the river’s condition deteriorated, with concerns most acute in Cuttack, Khordha and Puri districts.The study found that agriculture and fisheries — the two major sources of livelihood in riverine areas — are under increasing stress.

While lift irrigation projects have expanded, many are either underperforming or abandoned due to unreliable water availability.“Fishing communities reported a steep drop in fish catches. Fishers attributed the decline to industrial and medical waste discharge, destructive fishing practices, reduced freshwater inflows and excessive sand extraction,” said Sandeep Kumar Pattnaik, one of the authors of the study.The report also highlighted alarming pollution levels in several distributaries, including Kathajodi, Daya, Kuakhai and Gangua.