Binjharpur: An investment of Rs 31 crore went down the drain after a newly-constructed 2000 ft-long river embankment stretching from Naubanka to Gahirapal villages under this block in Jajpur district caved in due to substandard construction Sunday.
The villages under this block and neighbouring Dasarathpur were, however, saved from a possible submergence by a flash flood as the riverbed of Kharasrota was dry at the time of collapse of the embankment.
Nevertheless, communication between Binjharpur and Dasarathpur blocks in the district were disrupted while no casualties were reported at the time of the incident.
With this, the apprehension of villagers over a possible collapse of the embankment has come true. More importantly, it has ripped open the ongoing irregularities in the water resources department.
However, the silence of the department officials even after 36 hours of the incident has baffled the residents. Sources said NABARD sanctioned Rs 31, 69, 43,000 for construction of an embankment to strengthen the left wall of Nuamahara, a distributary of Kharasrota from Naubanka to Gahirapala villages.
The construction of the embankment was taken up as it would save some of the regions of Binjharpur and Dasarathpur block from possible floods and would also open a route between the two blocks.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone for the project February 16, 2014 and deadline for completion of the project was March 3, 2015.
However, two and half years have passed since the expiry of the deadline but the consultancy agency is yet to hand over the project to the water resources department. While the agency has received all its bills, it has left the project halfway without completing it.
Earlier, a part of the embankment had collapsed at Kusunipur while over 2000 ft of it caved in at Naubanka village Sunday.
The Orissa Construction Corporation (OCC) initially received the contract but it later leased it to some local contractors. It is alleged that the contractor without conducting a soil test used sand mixed with muddy soil collected from river islets to construct the embankment, an assistant engineer of the department said on condition of anonymity.
The water resources department launched a probe into the charge of substandard works after a report was published in Oriya daily Dharitri September 11, 2015. The probe, however, remained inconclusive due to alleged interference of some unseen hand.
When contacted, Satya Sagar Bhuyan, water resources assistant engineer, said he is aware of the development but will conduct a probe Monday and inform his higher-ups as offices are closed for Sunday.
It is alleged that OCC has received contracts over Rs 300 crore during the last five years in the district but all its works are plagued by several irregularities. PNN