New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) A delegation of the BJD met with NCST chairperson Antar Singh Arya to discuss the potential submergence of a multi-purpose project in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh which could lead to the displacement of the tribes living in Odisha's Malkangiri district, a member said on Wednesday.

The delegate said the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes chairperson had assured them that he would visit the Polavaram Project site and the tribal population living in villages that might be impacted by the project.

Also Read | INR vs USD: Rupee Falls 7 Paise To Settle at Fresh All-Time Low of 84.75 Against US Dollar.

The delegation was led by senior leader Debi Prasad Mishra who discussed how the Polavaram project is likely to impact the lives and livelihoods of thousands of tribal people, especially those from vulnerable and primitive tribes in Malkangiri.

The BJD, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said the project was conceived under the resolution of the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT), which outlined agreements between Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh.

Also Read | What Is 'Werewolf Syndrome'? Know About Rare Condition Linked to Hair-Loss Drug Developed in Babies in Spain.

"However, significant changes have been made to the original design flood discharge capacity of the dam project. The project authorities have increased the flood discharge from 36 lakh cusecs to 50 lakh cusecs, without sufficient consideration of the backwater impact in the upstream states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh," the statement read.

It said that the shift has caused apprehensions among the affected populations of Malkangiri, who are at the risk of losing their lands and homes.

Mishra had earlier said that around 200 villages in the Motu and Padi blocks of the district will be inundated.

He had said the Odisha government in 2007 moved the Supreme Court alleging that the impact assessment study was not made before allowing the project to be implemented by the Andhra Pradesh government.

Following this, the Supreme Court in 2022 directed the Centre to convene meetings between Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

However, no such meeting took place, he claimed.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)