Balasore: River Budhabalanga is slowly swallowing roads passing through its embankments. This has become a matter of concern for the people of four villages. The issue was taken up at a recent meeting on disaster management.
The Coast Canal originating from the river at Manikula in Gopinathpur panchayat links Balasore to Kolkata. Thousands of people travel through the roads on its embankments.
Reports said roads were built on both sides of the canal. A road was laid under PMGSY in 2012 from Tiakhia Chhak to Manikula to the east of the canal.
However, work on a part of the road measuring 180 metres was stalled at Kathapal Chhak. There is a spur at the meeting point of the Coast Canal and Budhabalanga.
The irrigation department had planned stone packing or a guard wall at the point. Seven years have passed, but the plan has not been executed due to the apathy of officials, locals said.
Gradually a part of the spur and the road collapsed into the river. Four-wheelers are now unable to move on the road. The people of Manikula, Jagannathpur, Kathapal and Nalkuli travel on this road. If the erosion continues the road will disappear soon, the villagers said.
They also pointed out that during emergencies, fire tenders and ambulances are unable to reach the village. Although the villagers had taken up the issue with the sarpanch, the collector, the BDO and the MLA, nothing has been done to check the erosion.
The villagers said that they are tired of reminding officials of the rural development and irrigation departments about this.
Before monsoon, it is a regular practice to dump sandbags here and bamboo poles are pitched for temporary work, they said.
Nandulal Ghadei, superintending engineer of the rural development department, said he was aware of the problem. The irrigation department had planned to construct a guard wall or go for stone packing, but that was not possible, he added.
Nilamani Jena, an engineer of the irrigation department, said a tender was floated for constructing a guard wall, and work on it will be over before the monsoon.