Balikuda: The dying Alaka river, which was once the lifeline of thousands of people in Jagatsinghpur district and a part of the region’s past heritage, will soon be rejuvenated, a report said.
The state government has plans to rejuvenate the river and has initially sanctioned Rs 6.5 crore for the project. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will lay the foundation stone of the project August 13 in virtual mode for which the tender process has been completed.
Odisha Construction Corporation Ltd (OCCL) has been awarded the contract to undertake the rejuvenation work of the river. The OCCL has signed a contract with the state Drainage department in this regard.
The matter came to fore after a five-member team from the Chief Minister’s office visited the area and reviewed the condition of the river, Sunday. The team members interacted with the local residents and recorded their statements regarding the river while drone cameras were used to click the photographs of the river.
On being informed, members of an environmental outfit Alaka Surakhsya Abhiyan, which has been spearheading a movement for the rejuvenation of the Alaka river, reached the spot and met the team members.
The outfit had claimed that the rejuvenated river will have normal water flow and facilitate irrigation facilities in the district. The river can also be used for cultivation of various kinds of fish which will help in providing livelihood opportunities to scores of fishermen and locals in the district.
Convener Ratnakar Nayak, president Susant Mohapatra, vice-president Prakash Ray, joint secretary Chittaranjan Mishra, Kelu Charan Sahu, Harish Chandra Satapathy informed the team members from the CMO about the problems related to the river and stressed on urgent need to rejuvenate it.
The outfit had build up a mass movement in the area demanding rejuvenation of the river. Public interest litigation (1969/13) was also filed in the Orissa High Court in this regard.
The petitioner had stated in the PIL that the river requires desiltation and preservation of water which will help the farmers in the area in agriculture. Later, the outfit also submitted separate memoranda to the offices of the Chief Minister and the state Water Resources Minister on the issue.
Alaka forms a branch of Biluakhai river at Birabarapatana under Biridi block in Jagatsinghpur district. The river used to sustain thousands of villages in Biridi, Jagatsinghpur, Balikuda and Erasama blocks but soon it ran out of its purpose as the water flow in the river got restricted due to invasion of weeds and absence of desiltation. While the dead river runs for 52 km, the portion which is still active runs for 22 km.
The State government’s technical advisory committee had recommended its renovation. A survey of the river was undertaken to identify and remove encroachments on its banks on the stretch from Birabarapatana to Odisso.
Reports said that the matter was placed before the Union Ministry of Water resources, which had asked the State Government to prepare a project report and submit it to the Centre for further action.
Earlier, a six-member team of Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), Kolkata had visited Biridi block to prepare Techno Economic Feasibility Report (TEFR) required for submission of detailed project reports to the State government and the Centre for approval of projects to revamp the river in 2018.
Kamini Ranjan Patnaik, DIPRO, Harekrushna Behera, superintending engineer of drainage division of Jagatsinghpur, Sudhir Kumar Praharaj, SDO, Dillip Kumar Das, and others accompanied the five member team during their visit.
PNN