Bhadrak: Rampant encroachment and lack of concern for natural resources have turned Kanchudi, a river irrigating thousands of acres, a dumping yard, a report said.
Kanchudi, after flowing through Padmapur and Sugo panchayats of Basudevpur block and several other regions of undivided Balasore district, has joined Mantei river again in Padmapur panchayat.
Over a thousand acres in both Balasore and Bhadrak districts get irrigated by this river. In rainy season, the flow of floodwater is regulated by a sluice gate near Melak Sahi of Padmapur panchayat to help farmers.
However, the river can now be seen encroached upon by many people at several places. Similarly, a stretch of the river near Padmapur bridge has become a dumping yard as people keep putting trashes into the river.
This apart, eatery and hotel owners and other traders of the market conveniently dump the waste in the river bed. This has not only led to siltation, the water source is also getting polluted by it. Besides, blockade of water at many places keeps farm animals thirsty in summer season due to shortage of large-sized water bodies.
When contacted over the issue, local Sarpanch Snehaprabha Biswal said measures would be taken to bury the litter instead of dumping them in the river.
Dustbins would be placed in the market places and awareness would be created in this regard, said samiti member Banaj Kumar Mohapatra.
