Kalipada: The Subarnarekha River, flowing along the eastern edge of the Baliapal block in Balasore district, is causing significant distress as its shifting course continues to eat away riverbanks year after year.
Large swathes of agricultural land across several panchayats have already been lost to the river’s changing path.
Over recent years, parts of villages such as Kudamansing, Manonagar, Rasulpur Nayabali, and Ikadapal have been swallowed by the river.
Now, the erosion has reached close to the Panteighat area near Kulhachada village. As a result, residents of Kulhachada in Jamakunda panchayat of Baliapal block and Kuhla village in Rasulpur panchayat of Bhograi block face a growing risk of displacement.
Currently, around 200 metres of the Kulhachada riverbank is crumbling daily due to accelerated erosion. In the past six months alone, multiple acres of farmland have disappeared into the riverbed.
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If the current rate of erosion persists, the Subarnarekha is likely to reach the villages very soon.
Locals believe the increasing tidal infl ux from the Bay of Bengal is intensifying the erosion.
While stone pitching was carried out near Pantei village on the eastern bank, providing some protection there, the opposite bank near Kulha and Kulhachada has seen no such intervention, leaving it more vulnerable to damage.
As a result, the heavily used Pantei ferry ghat, an essential daily transport route for thousands commuting to Bhograi block and parts of West Bengal, has become increasingly perilous.
The original ghat has been rendered inaccessible, forcing passengers to board boats from makeshift locations, often trudging through muddy waters, which is causing serious inconvenience.
Local residents have repeatedly appealed to the district administration and the Water Resources department for immediate action.
In July last year, Mukul Bera, Chief Engineer and Special Secretary of the department, along with sitting MLA Subashini Jena and other senior officials, visited the site and promised swift stone-pitching work.
However, even a year later, not a single layer of soil has been laid. Residents warn that if urgent steps are not taken, the situation could become catastrophic during the monsoon season.
Meanwhile, construction of a bridge over the Subarnarekha from Jamkunda lock to Pantei ghat is underway at an estimated cost of Rs 192 crore by L&T.
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But the pace of work has been sluggish, making it unlikely to meet the scheduled completion timeline. When contacted, Junior Engineer Nanigopal Sen of the Water Resources department stated that a Rs 3.72-crore proposal for stone pitching has been prepared and the tender process is complete.
With the monsoon approaching, necessary emergency steps will be taken based on the severity of the situation, he added.
PNN
