Rasulpur: Massive irregularities have come to the fore in the repair of the breach in the right embankment of the Kharasrota river at Khanditara village in Rasulpur block under Jaraka irrigation division in Jajpur district.
It was alleged that the contractor has siphoned off Rs 17 lakhs after repairing the breach with sand. Fears are being raised over the durability of the work as it has been done with sand only, not with soil and murram.
People in the riparian villages fear that, the sand will not be able to withstand floods in the river this year. Misuse of government funds in the repair of the breach has raised the possibility of recurrence of breaches this year.
The Kharasrota river was in spate August 29, 2020. The floods had created a 200-ft breach on the right embankment of the river. People of around 20 riparian villages under Rasulpur, Bhotka, Gandhana, Tikarpada panchayats were affected by the breach.
A temporary patchwork on the breach was carried out to stop flood water and restore movement of people and transportation. It had been alleged that the repair work had been sub-standard.
The excuse given by the administration then was that the repair work was temporary and was done for a period of two months only. Later, it will be repaired permanently once funds were sanctioned.
Later, Rs 17 lakhs was sanctioned for permanent repair of the breach. However, the funds were not properly utilised. Fresh sand was laid on the temporary sand filling on the pretext of permanent repair work, locals alleged.
Under the rules laid down, the breach should have been filed with soil and reinforced with murram. To ensure that the breaches do not open up again, there is a provision of plantation of grass on either side of the breach.
This would help in holding the soil together. However, the repair work has been done with sand instead of earth.
There is no trace of murram. Poodles of water are formed even after a mild shower, inconveniencing the pedestrians.
Instead of growing fresh grass, the contractor has spread patches of sand-mixed grass on either side of the breach. It is feared that these grass patches will wash away with flood water.
PNN