Jajpur: The rural development department in Jajpur has suffered massive losses due to recent floods from the Brahmani, Baitarani rivers and their distributaries.
An assessment report prepared by the rural development division-II (Jaraka) said, the loss of the rural development was estimated at Rs 21.75 crore. 141 projects including roads, bridges, embankments, buildings were damaged by floodwaters.
The report also put forth some post-flood repair measurers and restoration of these infrastructures.
There are 154 projects of the rural development department. Roads/embankments with 174.890 km are included in these projects. The floodwaters have created 25 major breaches in roads between August 26 and August 29, for which the department has sought Rs 12.39 crore for repairs and restoration.
The report submitted to the engineer-in-chief said that Rs 19.81 crore is needed for restoration of some roads, embankments and breach plugging while Rs 1.48 crore has been sought for concrete works and bridge restoration.
For urgent restoration of some of the projects, Rs 4.98 crore has been sought.
Besides, Rs 988 lakh was required for repair of damage to PMGSY roads with 75.350 km; Rs 119 lakh for BSY roads with 3.100 km; Rs 25 lakh for MMSY roads with 5.200 km; Rs 20 lakh for RD(ACA) roads with 2 km and Rs 977 lakh for RD roads with 89.240 km.
Similarly, the RD has also sought Rs 36.50 lakh for repair of 13 buildings belonging to the rural development department, the revenue department and the education department.
The RWSS has suffered the worst due to floods. There are 17,261 tube wells in 10 blocks of the district out of which 6461 were affected by the floods.
Of the 237 drinking water projects, 120 were damaged. Meanwhile, 30 of the drinking water projects have been repaired.
According to reports, 25 major road breaches were created on river dykes under Jaraka irrigation division. Due to breaches, over 10 lakh people in the district were affected by floods. Nearly 2,86,327 livestock of about 530 villages of 124 panchayats under 10 blocks have been badly affected.
For temporary repair of 21 breaches, the RD department has sought Rs 7.84 crore. It is alleged that most of the road and embankment breaches were man-made. People at many places ascribed the reason to alleged low quality work. It was also alleged that, Niraghat and Rambhapur road breaches on Kelua river dyke under Dharmasala block was manmade. It may be noted that a double-storied building had collapsed near Brahmani river dyke at Kandiasahi of Bandhadiha panchayat under Rasulpur block, after a 150-ft-wide road breach was created.
Till date, hundreds of people have taken shelter on embankments.
Asked about the allegation of man-made breaches, superintending engineer of the water resources department, Chandeswar Behera, said breaches were created by pressure of floodwaters on weak points of embankments. Expeditious steps are being taken to repair the breaches, he added.
PNN