The debate over a second dam on the Mahanadi has again started after the recent devastating floods. Even though the State Government has not come out officially with any proposal, it is the Congress which has once again raised the issue. The latest proposal pending with the State Government since 1999 is a barrage-cum-dam on the river between Puta and Ranitola mountains near Manibhadra. As per the proposal, Leader of Opposition J.B. Patnaik said the dam would be 724 metres long and 20 feet high, would have rock filled dykes on both sides and can release 8.7 lakh cusec water through the barrage. The construction would cost Rs 800 crore and take five years. JB said the fury of floods will go down drastically if this barrage is constructed. Only 73 villages will be submerged, he said. JB had met the then prime minister A.B. Vajpayee in 2001 along with MPs from Orissa. Vajpayee had assured them that the project will be implemented during the Tenth Plan. However, Orissa Government did not proceed with the project on political considerations when some MPs complained that Rengali town will be submerged. However, this was not the first time that the second dam proposal was abandoned by the Orissa Government. The then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone for the second dam at Tikarpada in the 1960s when Biju Patnaik was the chief minister. But when the plan for the dam was finalised, it was found that three historic towns