Mahakalapara: A rise in tidal waves during inclement weather conditions like low pressure or depression is playing havoc in the lives of residents living near the coast of Bay of Bengal in Kendrapara district, a report said. Seawater crosses the coast and ingress into seaside villages during rough weather conditions. This leads to erosion of the district’s 48-km long coastline, stretching from Dhamra sea mouth in neighbouring Bhadrak district to Batighar panchayat here. The flooding of Panikhia Santhalpada village under Nanjura panchayat of this block, Saturday following a depression in the Bay of Bengal is another example of the phenomenon. The sudden rush of gallons of seawater not only caught the people unawares but threw life out of gear in the village.
Residents were seen scurrying for cover while desperately trying to salvage their valuables and essentials in the deluge by braving all odds, amid heavy rains. Seawater was seen overflowing on the village road and entering houses. Locals said there was knee-deep water inside their houses. Farmers said they had transplanted paddy saplings as part of cultivation for kharif season, but all their hard work has been wasted due to inundation of saline water in farmlands. They fear the kharif crop might get destroyed if the administration does not take urgent measures to drain out the accumulated seawater in their farmlands. Sources said at Panikhia Santhalpada village, home to 200 people mostly belonging to 50 families, over 2 feet high of water is overflowing on the village road following the ingress of seawater into the village. The villagers have to wade through knee-deep water to go out for work, or for any other purpose.
Under these circumstances, the fear of snakes and other reptiles slithering into the village, and their homes, loom large. Moreover, residents like Samai Tudu, Suna Tudu, Nugur Soren, Gajendra Marndi and Gurubha Hansda said they are fearful of attack by wild animals as the village is located on the peripheries of the Kantilo reserve forest. Significantly, the village is not connected to a main road, while the residents live in pitiable conditions. They mostly do odd jobs or farming. They have urged the district administration to intervene and construct an embankment around their village to save them from frequent ingress of seawater.