Baripada: Six years have passed since cyclone Phailin hit the state. Residents of Baripada shudder when they remember the horrible experience when the entire town was under floodwaters from Budhabalanga river. Locals said absence of a dyke along the river had led to such a situation then.
Sadly, the project has remained untouched by the state government even six years after the cyclone.
Worried over such flood threat, people of Baripada had earlier written to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik about the long-pending demand for the dyke along the Budhabalanga river. The dream remains still unfulfilled, lamented locals.
In the letter, they had proposed a high dyke from Mabandha to Damodarpur to check inflow of flood water into the town.
In case of floods, people of Baripada town are affected almost every year in the absence of the dyke. However, they were relieved that no floods of that extent have happened since then. However, fears still continued to haunt them.
They recalled that during Phailin in 2013, the river inundated the town. The entire town was inundated while people living in wards 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 20 were marooned for days together.
Even floodwaters had then entered the district headquarters hospital. The damage done by the flood had broken the economic backbone of people.
Since then, the residents have been demanding a dyke along the banks of the river.
Madhuban Development Committee, a local outfit, has long been fighting for the project. The committee has drawn attention of the Chief Minister, to the water resources department and the Collector towards the need of the project to protect the town from being flooded.
Considering the growing concern of the residents, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, during his visit to Baripada January 30, 2018, had announced that a ring road would be constructed in the town. Thereafter, an official of the water resources department had visited the area. However, since then, no step has been taken in keeping with the announcement.
Reports said at the meeting of the 117th technical advisory committee, the issue was discussed. The committee had recommended an estimated cost of Rs 62.34 crore to the government.
The TAC has also suggested that the dyke would be constructed in three phases from Damodar Ghat to Kuchei Ghat. Locals alleged that opposition political parties are keeping quiet for which the project has been shelved.
PNN