Nandapur: Serious concerns have been raised over alleged environmental damage to the Kolab reservoir during the construction of a bridge at Sindhiput in Koraput district.
According to a letter (No. 1350) to government authorities, Kolab Chief Engineer Karuna Sagar Behera said more than 50,000 cubic metres of soil have been dumped inside the reservoir to facilitate pillar construction for the Sindhiput bridge.
The project, undertaken by the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department, aims to connect Nandapur and Lamtaput blocks. The dumping of soil has split the reservoir into two parts, the engineer noted after a site inspection.
A significant portion of the soil has already been washed into the water body, leading to siltation and a reduction in the reservoir’s depth. Behera warned that the project, if not addressed properly, could adversely affect both the reservoir’s capacity and the local environment.
In his official communication, he wrote to the chief engineer of the R&B Koraput Division, Indravati Kolab chief engineer-cum-basin manager and the Koraput Collector. The letter alleged that soil dumping and embankment formation inside the reservoir were carried out without prior approval.
He urged authorities to take immediate steps to remove the deposited soil from within the reservoir to prevent further ecological damage.
When contacted, R&B Sub-Divisional Officer Sarat Patra said the soil dumped for centering work during construction of the bridge would be removed after the project is completed.
However, the assurance has failed to quell public resentment, with locals expressing concern over the environmental impact of the project. They alleged that similar lapses were observed earlier during construction of the Suku bridge by the Koraput RD Division.
They further claimed that similar construction practices by Nalco at Dumuriput and by RWSS at Narayanpatna have damaged water reservoirs due to indiscriminate soil dumping.
INTACH member and environmentalist Sunil Kumar Biswal criticised the move, terming it as “forceful and unscientific construction practices.” He said, “If the Kolab chief engineer has estimated that around 50,000 cubic metres of soil is currently deposited, it is difficult to assess how much soil has accumulated since construction of the Sindhiput bridge began in 2023, and how much has already been washed into the reservoir during monsoon flows.”
Biswal warned that removing the deposited soil from the reservoir would be a costly exercise. He also urged authorities to conduct site inspections at Sindhiput, Suku and other construction sites across the district where work is underway over water bodies.
He called for verification of whether royalty has been duly collected on the soil used in these projects.
Social worker and lawyer Anup Kumar Patra has also expressed concern over the alleged illegal construction within the reservoir. In a letter to the Governor, Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, R&B Secretary, and the Koraput Collector and Sub-Collector, he sought a probe into the matter and urged authorities to take exemplary action against the construction agency.
