Kaptipada: Residents of 21 riparian villages located along the river Son in Kaptipada block of Mayurbhanj district are becoming increasingly anxious as the monsoon intensifies in strength by each passing day.
The reason: lack of proper measures to strengthen embankments at various places has made the villages vulnerable to flooding during heavy rains. The river has also been eroding into the banks every year during floods, giving villagers restless nights.
Apart from this, the river is gradually changing its course and is expanding into banks in the absence of spurs, according to villagers.
Recalling the devastation caused by floods in previous years, locals lamented that the river has become a curse for them during the monsoon. Every year, the river inflicts a heavy toll on life and properties in the form of floods. People are losing their sleep over the miseries they face due to being marooned for days together.
Locals alleged that though embankment work and stone packing of banks were taken up at various places for lakhs of rupees, the projects were botched up.
The villages which bear the brunt of devastating floods each year are Gadasahi, Rathadandasahi, Beladiha, Janakpur, Bajrapur, Kundisahi, Kolhasahi, Chandiasahi, Lalitaposa, Dahisahi, Baghiagadi, Jaukhuntia, Kundala, Thakarasahi, Gendagadia, Jambandha, Kukudagadi, Bhalagundi, Ambapichchula, Sudusudia and Khaprapal.
Locals have been demanding anti-flood measures for their villages for several years now. Considering the demands, the irrigation department conducted stone packing of banks at Kukudagadi, Chandisahi, Rathadanadasahi and Mahuladiha at a total cost of Rs 87 lakh, but the project was riddled with flaws as a result of which stone packing at some places had collapsed even without any major floods.
People of Rathadandasahi are now a worried lot after the river bank collapsed near the village. Expressing their displeasure, the villagers said the river has been eating into its banks in the absence of spurs. “Years ago, the width of the river was only 75 ft, but now it has widened its course up to 300ft,” the villagers said, adding that every year, people suffer huge losses due to floods. Some have even shifted elsewhere for safety, they said.
The villagers also said illegal sand mining has become rampant along the river, which needs to be checked. Now, stone packing and spur construction is in progress at some places. The villagers demanded that the work should be completed well before the monsoon.
It was stated that 30 years have passed since the Sunei minor irrigation project was set up in the area, but spurs and embankments have not been built along the affected villages.
They said the state government, irrigation department, district administration and people’s representatives have been neglecting the problems of the riparian villages. They apprehended that many villages will be wiped out by the river if embankments are not built along the villages.
A junior engineer of Sunei minor irrigation project said the estimate for stone packing of banks at 25 places from Sunei dam to Bairatpur has been sent to the department last year. After departmental approval, work of the stone packing will be taken up in a phased manner, he added. PNN
