Bari: The fate of an 84-km embankment project at Bari tehsil in Jajpur district which aims at controlling the flood situation at the nearby villages has been stuck in limbo for eight years due to host of reasons like fund crunch and land acquisition issues, a report said. The project has been hit by cost overrun of over Rs 38 crore owing to delay in work.
In the monsoon, people in this region lose their sleep over the fear of floods. To protect the region from flood, the state government had planned an 84-km embankment project at a cost of Rs 62 crore. Jaraka Water Resource Division and Bari Water Resource Division awarded the project work by the state government in the year 2011-12.
Even after eight years, the two Water Resource Divisions could not begin the construction work on the project. On the other hand, the project has been hit by cost overrun of over Rs 38 crore owing to delay in work.
The deadline for completion of project was March, 2015, but due to delay in the land acquisition process, the project work is yet to take off.
The state government sanctioned Rs 4, 36, 92, 360 crore to the Bari tehsil in 2012 for land acquisition in the area.
Though the district Collector directed Bari tehsildar to release the money to start the land acquisition process, the tehsil is not releasing the sanctioned money which has further pushed the fate of the project into uncertainty.
However, the PWD department has to acquire lands in Janak, Nilapada, Chandanpur, Mirjapur, Kalakhanda, Matiapada, Sherpur, Gambu, Aruala and Sahupada and Indupur to start the embankment construction work.
Members of Bari Surkhya Parisad said that they had drawn the attention of local politicians and even district administration to start construction work of the river embankment project, but no step has been taken yet.
PNN