Baliapal: Odisha Coast Canal, built during the British Raj to boost marine trade in Odisha has almost lost its existence due to lack of maintenance and dredging in Balasore even as a proposal for its revival has been stuck in official files, a report said.
The century-old water channel laid between West Bengal and Odisha, which once used to be a lifeline for farming is allegedly a victim of neglect and is of no use for farmers, locals said. The canal is chocked with silt which needs to be dredged.
Sadly, government lands alongside the canal and even parts of the canal have been encroached by people and prawn mafia at different places. Farmers say, the revival of 147km long British-era canal is crucial to irrigation, flood control and pisciculture in the district.
Locals said if the canal is revived, it would provide an alternative mode of transport in terms of inland water channel for the people of Balasore and Bhadrak districts and would also help protect the countryside villages from high tides during cyclones and saline water ingress.
According to reports, the construction of the canal was started in 1880-81 to protect people from acute famine with an estimated cost of Rs 36 lakh. Later it was renovated in 1888.
Apart from providing relief to the state’s famine-struck people during ‘Na-anka Durbhikhya’, it proved to be a boon for undivided Balasore for opening trade, transport and communication routes which connect Bhograi, Baliapal and Basta.
The canal covers 13 km in Bhograi, 14 km in Jamkunda in Baliapal and 13 km from Jamkunda to Madhata. The total 40-km stretch from Bhograi to Mandhata in Baliapal block is lying neglected. A 91-km stretch of the canal from Hugli river to Nasirabad is in West Bengal
Similarly, the canal connects the Hooghly river at Geonkhali, 72 km from Kolkata, with the Matai river at Charbatia near Bhadrak.
Its length in the state is 147.2 km and is divided into four ranges. However, over years, the canal lost its importance and utility after the opening of railway and road connectivity in the area.
Maritime trade gradually came to a cropper via the canal and finally it has been left redundant for several years.
If the canal is revived, it would create a potential source for irrigation and will help promote freshwater fish farming for thousands of people in the areas it passes though, said some farmers.
As for the revival proposal, assistant engineer of the irrigation department Jay Krushna Behera said a proposal has been sent to the Centre, but it has not been approved till date.
He added that maintenance work was carried out two years ago and no further work was taken forward.
Engineer of the drainage department Sudhir Kumar Parida said revival of the heritage canal is not possible without political will.
As for encroachments, tehsildar Pradip Kumar Das said action will be taken against prawn mafia who has encroached upon the canal.
Farmers like Kushadhar Jena, Ananta Rout, Manmath Patra, Ananta Jena, Anuj Mohapatra, Arun Jena and Rajesh Choudhary demanded that MP, MLAs and other people’s representatives of the two districts should come out and bat for revival of the coast canal, which holds much potential for the agriculture and other allied sectors.
PNN
