Kendrapara: Embankments along seven rivers and 27 branch canals in Kendrapara are unsafe during a survey of various river embankments in the district conducted by the Water Resources department, last week. Moreover, the survey – which was carried out to access the present situation and identify vulnerable areas ahead of monsoon – also found that stone packing on several parts of the saltwater embankments has collapsed. The findings in the survey have prompted locals to demanded immediate repairs before the monsoon.
According to farmer leader Bidhu Bhushan Mahapatra, rivers such as Kani, Kharasrota, and Brahmani surround 10 panchayats in Aul block, including Gobindpur, Dimiripal, Petapada, Sansidha, Eradang, Desahi, Palami, and Ketuapal. The villages of Balakati, Koladiha, and Mahu are facing severe erosion by the Kharasrota river, he said. Despite stone packing being carried out along various embankments, such as – from Chunabandha to Sanaanko, Patrapur to Gopalpur, and Tunga to Baulajodi – their condition remains vulnerable. The problem is not confined to Aul block alone. Canal embankments across the district are in poor condition, causing anxiety among local residents and damaging crops. Annual flooding in these rivers disrupts the lives of residents in 55 panchayats in the district’s coastal areas. The crumbling stone packing on the saltwater embankments has heightened fears of sea intrusion.
Residents are demanding that all river and canal embankment repairs be completed by May. Local intellectual Prashant Kumar Nayak stated that Kendrapara district has two divisions of the Water Resources department, along with the Aul Embankment Office that are responsible for managing the district’s rivers and canals. “Additionally, the office is accountable for safeguarding the district’s 48-km-long coastline,” he said. However, despite the existence of these departments, water management for agriculture remains a major concern. Every year, the fear of floods haunts the 55 panchayats in the district “Embankment reinforcement works could be carried out during seasons other than monsoon.
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But officials often resort to patching up weak embankments with soil and sand during the rainy season, wasting resources without solving the problem,” he alleged. Another intellectual, Radhakant Mohanty, also pointed out that river water management is a significant issue for the district. “Riverbeds near estuaries and lower reaches are silting up. Due to a lack of dredging, excess water cannot be drained during floods. Furthermore, rivers begin to dry up from January, affecting both agriculture and mangrove forests. The destruction of mangrove forests has led to severe coastal erosion,” he said. Residents of Satabhaya have been relocated 15 kilometres away to Bagapatia due to the situation. Geo-synthetic tubes cannot withstand tidal waves. Mohanty advocated for the construction of barrages and check dams on rivers and canals. Meanwhile, when contacted over the issue, Umesh Chandra Sethi, Superintending Engineer of the District Water Resources department, said that vulnerable river embankments have been identified for this year. “Those will be repaired during the dry season,” he said.
