Nimapara: The water of Kushabhadra River, regarded as the lifeline of Nimapara, is becoming increasingly polluted as the waterbody has accumulated silt throughout the years. The river, originating from Kuakhai River, flows from near Siphon Chhak on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar and passes through various areas, including Balianta and Balipatna in Khurda district and Nimapara, Gop, Satyabadi, and Puri Sadar in Puri district, before merging into the Bay of Bengal. The riverbed has not been dredged for a long time, causing it to accumulate further silt and aggravate pollution.
Due to the lack of dredging at both the source and the riverbed, the river’s water-holding capacity has decreased significantly. Many fishermen’s families were once dependent on the river for their livelihood, as it used to teem with a variety of fish species. Agricultural fields along the riverbanks were once lush and productive, providing financial security for riparian farmers who grew brinjals, pointed gourds, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, and various leafy greens and flowers. These crops were even exported to other states fetching handsome money for the farmers.
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However, the current state of the river has driven farmers away, and they no longer rely on it. Kushabhadra River, which supports the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in Khurda and Puri districts, is now a victim of administrative negligence. During the previous administration, there were plans to construct a dam near Balianta to preserve the river’s water, and a survey was even completed, but the project never started. A proposal for dredging the riverbed was also initiated during the same period, but this work, too, was halted halfway.
Attempts to reach out to the executive engineer of the Nimapada Water Resources division on this issue were unsuccessful. Local residents, including Alekh Pradhan (Balianta), Santosh Mishra (Balipatna), Harihar Sahu, Shankar Pradhan (Nimapara), Bidyadhara Mallick and Ratnakar Sethi (Gop), have urged the state government to prioritise the protection of the river