Kendrapara: With the embankments of Brahmani and Kani rivers eroding every day, over 5,000 residents of the riparian villages in Sanamanga panchayat under Aul block of Kendrapara district are in panicky.
The district has as many as seven major rivers and 27 distributaries which have mingled with sea. However, the two rivers reportedly keep changing their course, thereby resulting in embankment erosion.
The worst affected villages are Arjunpur and Panchapada. Several places along the embankments had witnessed landslides during the cyclone ‘Yash’. “We have brought it to the knowledge of local administration many times, but to no avail,” locals alleged.
Former local sarpanch Pritiranjan Ghadai said that immediate stone-packing is essential to prevent flood and erosion in future, otherwise the riparian villages might get washed away in due course of time.
“Already a number of houses and farmlands were previously washed away due to continuous erosion. The problem of erosion has been persisting since over a decade. At least three temples and two schools have been washed away,” Arjunpur villager Basudev Jena said.
“As my house is just 70 metre away from the embankment, usually, I spend sleepless nights every year during flood,” Jena added.
“We are unable to produce foods for ourselves as the rivers eat into our farmlands. Stone-packing of the embankments should be done much before the monsoon arrives this year. Brahmani and Kani rivers have become bane for us,” Khirod Behera of Sanamanga rued.
On being contacted, executive engineer of Luna river embankment in Aul Sarojkanta Mohanty said, “The department higher-ups are aware of the problems. Provision for stone-packing of an 810 metre-long stretch of the embankments at Arjunpur is being made. The state government has also sanctioned Rs 3.68 crore for the purpose.”
PNN