Kendrapara: Concerns are growing in this district over suspected illegal migration via sea routes, with Mahakalapara block emerging as a focal point, local residents and officials said.
According to earlier government identification, 1,649 suspected Bangladeshi migrants were found in the district in 2004.
In the 22 years since, only three have reportedly been relocated, raising questions about enforcement and monitoring.
Residents allege that after political developments in neighbouring West Bengal, movement patterns have shifted towards Kendrapara’s coastal belt.
The district’s proximity to Bangladesh — reachable in about eight to 10 hours by sea — has heightened anxieties over porous maritime boundaries.
Despite the presence of multiple agencies, including the Coast Guard, forest department and five police stations — at Jamboo, Talachua, Tantiapala, Rajnagar and Mahakalapara — locals claim that surveillance remains inadequate.
Three marine police stations are said to be operational largely on paper due to infrastructure shortages.
The district has a 48-km coastline and includes the ecologically sensitive Bhitarkanika National Park, spanning 682 sq km.
Limited road connectivity and dense forest cover in parts of the region are cited as factors enabling illegal activities to go undetected.
Residents allege that encroachment of forest land has increased, with some individuals attempting to secure land titles by establishing local identity.
There are also claims of illegal aquaculture operations and smuggling of marine resources, including crabs and shellfish, as well as livestock.
Local community members, including Amarabar Biswal, Manoj Kumar Singh, Nihar Ranjan Pradhan and Pratap Kumar Tripathy, have expressed concern that parts of Mahakalapara are becoming increasingly crime-prone.
They also pointed to a rise in missing persons cases, particularly involving women and young girls.
Police records indicate that over 100 such cases have been registered in the past two years across Mahakalapara and Rajnagar blocks.
While many have been categorised as elopement-related, some later showed links to labour trafficking, residents alleged.
Past incidents have also underscored security concerns in the region.
These include the detection of an unauthorised radio station in 2001 and the killing of a forest guard in 2002.
Sub-divisional police officer Jyotiranjan Gouda said the district police have stepped up vigilance.
“Vehicle checks have been intensified since August 2025, and coastal routes are under strict watch,” he said, adding that a speedboat has recently been deployed at the Tantiapala marine police station to strengthen patrolling.
However, locals maintain that more robust and coordinated measures are needed to secure the coastline and prevent illegal activities.