Bari: Dudhei river, one of the distributaries of Kharashrota river, is turning out to be a bane for agriculture in Bari area in Jajpur district. Every monsoon, the river plays havoc in the riparian pocket, bringing miseries for days together.
Another problem for people in riparian villages is that the river has been eroding the banks, thus gobbling up farmlands. This has become a cause for concern for farmers, a report said.
Locals said the river that erodes its banks every year has devoured acres of farmlands in the area, but no measure has been taken to stop the erosion. They fear that if it goes on, the river would devour their habitat.
Erosion is taking place on the south side of the river. Locals added that no embankments have been built on both sides of the river. In the east side of the river, Bari-Kalimatia PWD road provides a major communication link between Jajpur and Kendrapara districts.
The gradual erosion of banks has widened the river course, posing a threat to the PWD road, locals said, adding that thousands of people commute on this route every day.
Elderly people said that Dudhia nullah was once a creek. Over the years, its course has widened several times, making it a river. Farmers have lost acres of farmlands along the river in the last 25 years.
They observed that there is a need for stone packing of its banks to prevent erosion. If nothing is done, more farmlands on both sides of the river will fast disappear into the river, they feared.
Locals lamented that the rate at which the river is eroding into its banks, it may even gobble up the PWD road and villages nearby in a few years.
Locals added that though they had been drawing the attention of the water resources authorities and local leaders towards the problems, they have no concern for it.
PNN