Kendrapara: Constant sea erosion is posing serious threat to existence of Havelikhati island, a tourist site under Rajnagar block in Kendrapara district.
The idyllic island within Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, the rookery of Olive Ridley sea turtles is rich in flora and fauna and an ideal site for tourists to spend some quality time in solitude away from the din and bustle of the city. However, the sea coast erosion here has acquired alarming proportion, threatening the very existence of the Havelikhati island.
The sea erosion is now slowly eating away the tourist rest house in the island. The kitchen of the rest house has been washed away in the sea. Besides, constant lapping of waves has also damaged the base of the watch tower in the island.
The tourist rest house in danger of getting completely washed away if urgent measures are not taken to prevent the erosion, felt Umesh Chandra Basu, a tourist from Sohana in Kolkata said.
Basu said, none except the tourists visit this island.
Basu said that he has been visiting this place for the last seven years and this year he has come with his family. However, the striking sea waves are a cause of concern which has eroded the island to a great extent.
When contacted, range officer Subrat Kumar Patra of Gahirmatha forest range confirmed the development. He said, transit houses have been built for housing a total of 16 tourists about 300 mtrs from the sea but waves have damaged these houses, while the kitchen constructed only recently; a few months ago, has already been washed away in the sea.
The damage is not limited to the Havelikhati island alone. Similar erosion can also be witnessed in nearby Ekakulanasi island. The rate at which the sea erosion is taking place, it has posed serious threat to the tourist shelters in the island, he added.
The state government relocated the villagers of sea side Satabhaya and Kanhupur to Bagapatia in Rajnagar block after five villages of Satabhaya were taken by the sea. Similarly, sea erosion at Pentha coast has forced the state government to construct a geo-synthetic wall, at a cost of Rs 33 crore.
Karunakar Behera of Satabhaya village said that the sand wall which is deemed as the protective shield of Havelikhati island is crumbling fast due to sea erosion and has washed away over 300 acre of land from the island. Residents have urged the district administration to intervene and save the island from extinction. PNN
