Baripada: Balidiha dam under Shyamakhunta block in Mayurbhanj district has recently emerged as a favourite tourist spot. Its picturesque beauty is so enchanting and enticing that visitors who come here immediately fall for its charm.
Nested 17 kilometres away from Baripada town, Balidiha dam’s main attraction is sparkling water overflowing the dam and running down the steps forming a perfect background for clicking selfies. Nature lovers throng the spot in good numbers and return after spending some quality time there.
The dam was constructed on Palapala river in 1912 by the then Mayurbhanj king Sriram Chandra Bhanj Deo. The dam was designed by foreign engineers and the objective of getting the dam constructed was to provide food to people for the labour they employed and to irrigate farmlands. It had the system to store water in rainy season and release it later for agricultural purposes.
Since the British era reservoir is silted up, the excess water keeps running over the weir and goes down the crest which is designed like a flight of steps in the months of July, August and September.
The charming effect of the water coming down the steps is to be seen to be believed. These days, visitors from neighbouring Balasore, Bhadrak and Keonjhar districts and from places including West Bengal and Jharkhand states also flock to the spot and capture the moments in photographs.
Since the flow of the water is slow, starting from children to elders, everyone can enjoy here. Similipal’s green forest with the blue sky stretching over like a canopy and below the reservoir give the visitors an experience of a lifetime.
Describing their exhilarating experience, a visitor Saraswati Nayak said, “I feel lucky because during our stay there were cotton candy clouds floating in the sky and at the same time, the sun was setting down the horizon, scattering its bright golden rays on the water of the reservoir. I can never forget the moments we spent here.”
Meanwhile, the lack of some basic facilities at the spot disheartened many. “The district administration should develop the spot. It should have sitting arrangements and houses, cottages for tourists who want to spend some time there. Most importantly, steps should be taken for the safety of visitors,” observed Saroj Nayak another visitor.
Similarly, the local people urged the administration to resurrect the dam and develop the place as a tourist spot by setting up a park so that tourists, instead of coming only during the rainy season, can visit the spot all through the year.
PNN
