Balasore: More than 5,000 residents of old Balasore located near Budhabalanga River are now panic-stricken as incessant rains are constantly eroding embankments. These residents are apprehensive that the river will swell up their dwellings.
Old Balasore is not far away from the mouth where the Budhabalanga River meets the Bay of Bengal. Strengthening of the riverbanks with stone-packing is the need of the hour, local residents said. However, they also alleged that the attitude of the local administration is very lackadaisical leading to frequent floods in the area. They also pointed out that erosion of the riverbanks have assumed alarming proportions.
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It is pertinent to mention, the Ward No 1 under Balasore civic limits is badly affected by floods every year during the rainy season. A one kilometre-long stretch of embankment was swept away by floodwaters a few years ago, along with a two-storied building.
Local Irrigation department had temporarily put sand-filled sacks along the breached embankment at an estimated cost of Rs 40 lakhs.
Notably, the villagers belonging to Patanasahi, Malladiha, Tulasipada, Udapada, Mahanapur, Karakhanagadi, Gangarampatana, Patrasahi are the worst sufferers due to the erosion of the riverbanks.
A fund of Rs 5,83,00,000 was sanctioned in the FY 2016-17 for the purpose of stone-packing of the embankments in this locality. However, since then proposed project has witnessed little progress.
PNN