Baripada: Cyclonic storm ‘Titli’ has revived bitter memories of ‘Phailin’ among the residents of Baripada. The entire Baripada town had been flooded October 13, 2013 when cyclone Phailin struck.
Four years have passed, but the government has not fulfilled the promise to construct an embankment along the Budhabalanaga river, locals said.
The people were busy with celebrations when ‘Phailin’ hit and water gushed into the town. Wards like 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 20 were completely submerged. A person died and water had damaged several properties. The people had a hellish experience with water collecting inside houses.
With no dyke, water gushed into Baripada town from the overflowing Budhabalanga river in 2013. The government had taken the issue seriously.
The 117th Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) discussed the proposal and recommended construction of a dyke at an estimated cost of Rs 62.34 crore. The TAC had said the dyke should be constructed from Kuchei Ghat to Damodar Ghat.
The project is still in limbo due to administrative apathy and lack of political will although the Madhuban Development Committee, a local organisation, had been pressing for it since a long time.
The committee has already taken up the issue with the water resources department, the Collector and other officials.
“We have been raising the issue for a long time, but nothing has been done to build the dyke. If the government does nothing we will organise protests,” said Bikram Keshari Jena, the Committee President.
The old bridge on the Budhabalanga river has become so weak, and there is need for a new one, the committee said.
The members of Madhuban Development Committee had met Arun Sahu, the BJD observer in Mayurbhanj October 9. A delegation of the committee will meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik soon to apprise him of the need for the dyke.
PNN