Rajnagar: Officials have been on a drive to demolish illegal prawn gheries in Bhitarkanika area in Kendrapara district. In the last four days, 105 prawn gheries have been demolished.
This was stated Sunday by ranger Dhaneswar Rath. These gheries had come up in Dikarpur, Sundaripal, Prahrajpur and Joginath mouza of the district.
According to the Forest department, no prawn gheries will be allowed to come up in and around the Bhitarkanika National Park.
It is an eco-sensitive zone and so gheries cannot operate as per the Coastal Aquaculture act. Officials said that in spite of the drive, a number of illegal gheries are still operating in the area.
These will also be demolished as soon as possible and in a phased manner, they added. They alleged that the prawn gheries are causing damage to the bio-diversity of Bhitarkanika sanctuary and paddy farming.
The saline water from the gheries enters the farmlands and af fect its fertility, of ficials informed. Since prawn gheries are still operating in Mahakalpara, Rajnagar and Rakanika blocks, the farmers there suffer the most.
Paddy farmers and people who work in the gheries often get engaged in conflicts over release of saline water into farmlands. This also affects the law and order situation in the blocks.
PNN