---
title: "Chief Engineer Demands Records From Burla Division Over Vedanta Aluminium’s Water Drawal"
url: https://mediathepower.com/chief-engineer-demands-records-from-burla-division-over-vedanta-aluminiums-water-drawal/
date: 2026-09-10
modified: 2026-09-10
lang: en
author: "Rajiv Singh"
description: "JHARSUGUDA- The Odisha Water Resources Department has launched an investigation into allegations of illegal water extraction by M/s Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. from the Bheden River in Jharsuguda district.The Chief Engineer..."
categories:
  - "News"
image: https://mediathepower.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/111-1024x808.jpg
word_count: 289
---

# Chief Engineer Demands Records From Burla Division Over Vedanta Aluminium’s Water Drawal

JHARSUGUDA- The Odisha Water Resources Department has launched an investigation into allegations of illegal water extraction by M/s Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. from the Bheden River in Jharsuguda district.The Chief Engineer of Water Services issued an urgent directive to the Superintending Engineer of the Burla Irrigation Division following a high-level complaint. The probe was triggered by an internal vigilance report dated August 25, 2026, alongside a formal complaint lodged by Satyanarayan Rao, President of the local advocacy group Anchalik Paribesh Surakhya Sangh.

State authorities have demanded a comprehensive, point-by-point compliance report regarding Vedanta’s water consumption history and tax collections since the plant's inception. The investigation focuses on several critical areas:

- **Construction Phase Consumption:** Authorities are demanding exact records and demand notices for the total volume of water drawn during the plant's initial construction period.

- **Temporary Agreements & Missing Online Data:** The department is investigating temporary water drawal agreements (Form-J). They are questioning why specific data entries were missing from the Integrated Water Compliance, Revenue and Management (IWCRCM) online portal.
**Pipeline and Reservoir Allocation:** Investigators are tracking the exact timeline of the pipeline laid from the Hirakud Reservoir and have requested the company's approved water drawal scheme.
**Alternative Water Sources:** The probe requires a full disclosure of all alternative water sources utilized by the plant, completely excluding its official Hirakud Reservoir allocation.
**Environmental Compliance:** The state has requested copies of all State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) 'Consent to Operate' (CTO) orders regarding sewage disposal from day one to the present.

Local community leaders have long raised environmental concerns regarding industrial water consumption impacting regional river basins. The Burla Irrigation Division has been ordered to immediately produce all historical agreements, financial collection records, and environmental clearances to determine if legal or financial penalties are warranted.