Ganjam: At a time when several villages along Kendrapara coast are facing the wrath of the surging sea waves of Bay of Bengal, reports Wednesday said that the tidal ingress is eroding vast stretches along Ganjam coast, triggering panic among the locals. Large portions of cashew and casuarina plantations have already been swallowed by the sea, while villagers apprehend that houses, temples and farmlands could be the next.
Residents of several villages under Palibandh gram panchayat, including Puruna Podampetta, Gokharkuda, Mayurpada, Niladripur and Kantiagada, said they are living in constant fear as seawater steadily creeps inland.
Officials and villagers said earlier the sea was about 2 km away from the coastal settlements. However, it has come closer now – barely 700 metres from Kantiagada and only 200 metres from Aryapalli under Chhatrapur block. More than 50 farmers have already lost their livelihoods as saline water has inundated agricultural land.
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Concerns have also been raised for the famous Rushikulya mass nesting site of Olive Ridley turtles, which conservationists say is being directly affected. “In the past four years, soil erosion caused by seawater has accelerated. Unless immediate measures are taken, the livelihoods of lakhs of fishermen and farmers will be affected severely,” said Rabindranath Sahu, secretary of Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee. Binod Mohapatra, secretary of Ganjam Senior Citizens’ Forum, said repeated ingress of saline water is damaging crops.
He blamed large-scale felling of casuarina forests near the shore as a major cause of the erosion. Coastal villages in Aryapalli and Agastinuagaon panchayats of Chhatrapur block and Rameyapatana of Chikiti block are also facing similar threats. Villagers warned that if permanent measures are not taken, they will launch protests. Meanwhile, officials said 142 fisher families from Podampetta were relocated after severe coastal erosion in 2007.
