Bhandaripokhari: The river mouth of Genguti, a distributary of the Baitarani originating at Ballabhighat in Solampur of Bhadrak district, has become heavily silted over the years and has become a flat stretch of ground, posing a risk of massive flooding in three blocks of Bhandaripokhari, Dhamnagar and Tihidi.
Locals say the problem is that floodwaters from Baitarani do not pass through Genguti river mouth and now find an escape route at Kanti, causing inundation in large tracts of areas in Bhandaripokhari, Dhamnagar and Tihidi. Locals alleged that floodwaters cause extensive damage to their crops and properties every year during the monsoon.
Locals said the river mouth from Maninathpur till Sathigaon has turned a flat ground where children play cricket and people lay and burn bricks. From its appearance, it is hard to believe that it is the Genguti’s river mouth.
Genguti merges into the Bay of Bengal at Sathigaon in Dhamnagar block. The floodwaters finding an escape route at Kanti and causing extensive damage in the area flow into Kholmuha creek and finally foray into Genguti via Sarta creek.
Floods from Genguti leave Sathigaon in Kurigan panchayat marooned during the rainy season. Locals are forced to confine themselves to their houses for days together as there is no bridge in the area.
Locals said the government has started constructing a bridge after repeated demands. Locals say the bridge will certainly alleviate sufferings of the people during floods, but the problem of being marooned will continue to exist.
“If the government wants to protect our village from floods, it should focus on two options. A protective wall should be raised along three sides of the village. The second option is that the river mouth of Genguti should be excavated up to Sathigaon so that the floodwaters will not find escape route at Kanti and cause widespread destruction,” a villager identified as Prafulla Palei
suggested.
Residents said the river bed of Genguti should also be dredged from Ballabhighat till Sathigaon so that it can hold water even in summer. People can raise crops in summer by using its water, they suggested. Officials of Dhamnagar water resources division said Genguti does not come under their jurisdiction. The officials of Akhuapada water resources division also said the same thing.
Dhaneswar Samal, executive engineer of Jajpur water resources division, said there is a need for excavation of Genguti river mouth. “It is the drainage department which will undertake this task. A project proposal to excavate from its mouth to Sathigaon has been sent to the department. The department will start work once it is approved,” he added. PNN
