Krushnaprasad: The Chilika Development Authority launched a new vessel in Chilika Lake at Satapada in Puri district Tuesday.
The new vessel, named ‘Chilikarani’, was unveiled by former minister and Brahmagiri MLA Sanjay Kumar Das Burma at a glittering function held at Satapada.
The launch of Chilikarani has cheered up residents and tourists who often take the water route to travel to their destinations. The vessel, after its inauguration, sailed from Satapada to Jahnikuda and back.
The vessel has been launched to facilitate daily travel of hundreds of residents – as well as tourists — of Satapada, Jahnikuda, Krushnaprasad, south Odisha and Puri. It was launched after the old vessel developed technical snags and became defunct. As a result, residents and tourists had a tough time travelling to their destinations. They used to risk their lives and travel by small boats in the absence of any vessel or motor boat facility.
The residents and a social outfit Jagrat Samaj urged the Collector, CDA authorities and the local MLA to intervene in the matter and launch a new vessel.
Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Forests and Environment; Puri Collector Jyoti Prakash Das (special guest); SP Sarthak Sarangi; and CDA chairman Susant Mishra (guests of honour); Krushnaprasad block chairperson Soudamini Mansingh, and its vice-chairman Prafulla Kumar Jena; Satapada sarpanch Trinath Samantray; Zilla Parishad members Prabhati Pradhan and Chandana Pradhan were present at the event.
The locals demanded an additional vessel to help ease pressure on the new one.
PNN