Kakatpur: Astarang Tehsildar Ashok Kumar Swain, Thursday, visited several coastal villages and took stock of the recent sea ingress.
Swain along with Agriculture department official Nivedita Pattnaik held discussions with the affected farmers of Udayakani, Chhenu, Tandahara, Katakana and Baghadiha villages.
The farmers informed the tehsildar that seawater has entered into several hundred hectares of farmland under Astarang block. The tehsildar assured the farmers of government compensation for damaged paddy fields.
It is worth mentioning here that the Forest department has planted kewda plants along Astarang coast to create natural sand dunes in an effort to check the frequent sea ingress.
However, the farmers urged the tehsildar to lay a stone embankment along the coast to check the entry of seawater into the coastal villages. “It will take quite few years for the formation of natural sand dunes along the coast. The administration should lay a stone embankment at Astarang immediately to check the sea ingress,” said a villager.
In another development, the administration has imposed ban on fishing thorough mechanised boats and trawlers in the coastal sea from Devi river mouth to Keluni estuary to ensure safe breeding for olive ridley turtles.
The fishing ban will remain in force from November 1 to May 30 next year. “Officials from Odisha police, Forest department and Fisheries department will conduct joint patrolling to enforce the fishing ban. Fishing in the prohibited zone will lead to seizure of trawlers, nets and other equipment,” said an official.