Nayagarh: A contractor engaged in Khurda-Bolangir railway project in this district has illegally dredged the riverbed of Kusumi and lifted soil worth crores of rupees to meet the project requirement.
The incident has taken place near Sanapandusar village under Nayagarh tehsil posing flood threats to four villages, a report said.
While the rule says a truckload of sand cannot be taken from the riverbed, the contractor has managed to excavate a patch of the riverbed measuring 500 meter in length and 15 feet in depth under the very nose of the administration, it was learnt.
Though people of Nayagarh district are excited for rail connectivity, the rampant damage to the environment in the name of infrastructure development has shocked many. According to reports, the contracted firm has been dredging the bottom of the river for two months using four dozers and shifting the soil to the project site. In the beginning, some villagers resisted the move. But the firm threatened them with dire consequences, saying it has got the required approval from the administration.
It was alleged that the firm managed to get away with the illegal activities in connivance with local political leaders and government officials.
The guidelines of the National Green Tribunal have gone for a toss, said some villagers who would soon move the tribunal over the issue.
Meanwhile, the wall of the 15-feet-dip pit has developed small breaches which would increase in sizes and weaken the river bank in the rainy season.
The villages likely to be flooded due to the breaches include Sanapandusar, Abhimanpur, Mrutyunjaypur and Harekrushnapur.
When contacted, deputy chief engineer Mahendra Pani who is the site in-charge of the project said he got a verbal consent of the district collector to go ahead with the excavation of the river bed.
Collector Arindam Dakua, however, rejected the claim saying no firm has been given such permission. The firm would pay compensation for such activities failing which it would face action, he added.
Revenue Inspector Gadadhar Nayak of Badapandusar said he didn’t have any information about the illegal excavation on riverbed of Kusumi.
Meanwhile, locals demanded a high level probe into the incident. PNN