Ganjam: Podampetta, an old village off the coast of the Bay of Bengal under Kantiagada panchayat in Ganjam district, is now completely deserted, after decades of sea erosion forced residents to relocate.
Once home to over 500 fishers’ families, the village relied on the sea for its livelihood. Rising tides and occasional storms over the years prompted the district administration to start resettlement measures in 2004 under the Odisha Disaster Recovery Project (ODRP).
Initially, 110 families were shifted to Dumunagiri in Ramagarh panchayat near the Saheb Canal.
In 2013, another 102 families were relocated to the ODRP colony.
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A final group of over 300 families was moved in 2018 to a site near Mayurpada village, close to the same canal.
Today, Podampetta is largely empty, with only a few structures still visible.
According to locals, several houses in the upper section of the former village have been swallowed by the sea.
Despite the exodus, the small temple dedicated to the presiding deity at the village’s edge continues to be maintained, with an unmarried local woman conducting daily worship.
Fishermen in the area said the sea remains rough at times, making it impossible to access the temple during high tides.
Former village head Dilip Kumar Chhotray said the once-thriving settlement is unlikely to appear in future Ganjam maps due to continued coastal erosion.
Authorities said the resettlement programme has largely succeeded in ensuring the safety of former residents, but the disappearing village stands as a stark reminder of the impact of the rising sea on coastal communities.
