Kuakhai faces pollution, drop in water level

MANOJ KUMAR JENA, OP

Bhubaneswar: Kuakhai River, the lifeline of Capital City here, is bearing the brunt of massive construction activities coupled with industrial expansion, resulting in pollution and a drop in water level throughout the years, even as the world celebrates ‘International Day of Action For Rivers’ Saturday.

According to locals, the river health has significantly degraded over the last 20 years. Prasant Kumar Das, 41, a resident of Mancheswar village located on the banks of Kuakhai, narrated how a healthy aquatic ecosystem in the river was conducive for growth of fish population almost two decades ago. “Earlier, fishing in the Kuakhai River was quite rewarding. Almost 20 years ago, we used to come back with buckets full of fish. But during the last 10 years, there was a sea change. Fish population as well as the catch have dropped significantly,” said Prasant.

Several fishermen used to visit Kuakhai bank to camp over there and catch fish, before pollution and other factors affected the river. Now, drop in fish population has dissuaded them to do so. “Earlier, we were using unpurified Kuakhai water for our daily requirements, but due to the water pollution, we had to switch to tap water,” said Sushant Bhoi, a local.

About the pollution and the factors affecting the aquatic life, eminent environmentalist and working president of Orissa Environmental Society (OES) Jay Krushna Panigrahi said, “A sharp rise in population has affected the river as water sources are constant. As every sector is developing and it requires water, the need of water has increased affecting its availability. However, climate change has affected the flow of water, including water pollution. We need to reduce the excess consumption of water in our day-to-day life and focus on water conservation.” “International Day of Action of Rivers is observed March 14 every year, calling for action to conserve and protect rivers that are at risk due to pollution. With this year’s theme “Protect Rivers, Protect People,” the theme portrays how both humans and the climate are affected due to pollution and why collective efforts are necessary to avert the crisis.

Professor at the Geology department of Utkal University, Durga Shankar Pattnaik said water flow in Kuakhai has been affected due to unauthorised constructions on its banks. Dams constructed by Chhattisgarh on Mahanadi River have also played a key role in reduction of water level here. Drop in water level and pollution has affected the fish population in Kuakhai as domestic and urban wastes have reduced ‘dissolved oxygen’ which is essential for the aquatic life to sustain, he said. Meanwhile, according to Water Quality Bulletin report published by State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) in February last year, Kuakhai River was placed in ‘Satisfactory’ category.

However, the Mahanadi Banchao Andolan has demanded more strong reforms to protest the rivers of Odisha. The outfit’s spokesperson Prasanna Bisoi said, “Illegal sand mining, excess pumping of water from rivers and encroachments at river banks have affected the rivers across the state. Apart from government initiatives, awareness at individual level is necessary to preserve our rivers.”