Chikiti: Faced with increasing water-logging, villagers of Sunpur under Chikiti block in Ganjam district started digging and clearing the Bahuda river mouth after performing a traditional Puja Friday.
Locals took up the task upon themselves after the administration turned a deaf ear to their plight.
Sources said, sands and water of the sea near the river come in the way of the Bahuda river. As a result the river mouth has been clogged with alluvial deposits.
Blockage of the river mouth and formation of sand bar has been identified as the reasons behind the sudden rise in the water level of the river, threatening the existence of sea-facing villages including Sunpur, Ramayapatna, Patisunpur, Subani, Sorala, Katturu.
Last year, 38 houses and some community establishments of the village under the Katturu panchayat in the block have been gobbled up by sea waves, said sarpanch Jagabandhu Behera.
“Sea erosion increases at Ramayapatna as the flow of water increases in the Bahuda river due to heavy rain over last two days. As the inhabitants fear there will be more rain over next few weeks, they decided to dig up the blocked river mouth on their own by hiring an excavator,” said a local.
The villagers alleged that though the administration was well aware of the matter but no immediate step has been taken by the department to release the excess water flow in the river.
Locals said though the administration had dredged the river mouth September 9, 2019, it again was blocked with deposits.
Interestingly, they said that as the administration had carried out dredging without the puja, the river mouth was clogged soon.
Meanwhile, owing to heavy rain over last two days, several parts of Chikiti were waterlogged. Rain water has damaged paddy and vegetables in 17 panchyats under the block, locals alleged. Hectares of farm lands are under water while some houses in Patisunupur are collapsed and some are waterlogged.
However, the district administration has not taken any steps for drainage of the rain water from the villages, which has been increasing danger for the houses.
Villagers alleged that though they had drawn attention of the block administration towards the messy drainage problem but no action was taken yet.
Notably, Sunpur Revenue Inspector had visited the affected area Friday.
