Basudevpur: Surveillance buildings like watch towers and marine police stations are in place. However, the lack of proper equipment and manpower in these buildings at Chudamani and Kansabansa villages has turned them into dens of anti-social elements. The two villages come under Basudevpur block which is a coastal area in Bhadrak district.
Since the villages are close to the Bay of Bengal, they can easily be an easy route for terrorists and other criminals to enter the state. In fact more than 15 panchayats and two wards are in close proximity to the Bay of Bengal.
The positioning of these villages makes it imperative for functioning of round the clock security. But nothing really happens. The stretch from the Baitarani River mouth at Dhamra to Chudamani Port and to Padhuan jetty of the Kansabansa River lies unmanned and unguarded.
A marine police station had been set up at the Chudamani and Kashia. But the residents of these villages said that they cannot depend on them. “The Kashia marine police station is yet to get its own building. It is functioning from a dilapidated Red Cross structure for three years now. Not only is the station short-staffed, the personnel working there do not have the necessary arms and ammunition to tackle terrorists,” said a couple of villagers. The condition of Chudamani marine police station is no better.
As these two police stations lack equipment like power boats, it is very difficult from them to patrol the river. Hence criminals who operate on the rivers have a field day, said a few villagers.
The unmanned and unequipped watch towers on the coast of Chudamani and Kashia have added to the woes of the villagers. These two structures have now become the den for criminals, informed villagers. “All forms of anti-social activities including consuming of drugs take place within the towers,” alleged a few villagers.
“Apart from fear of infiltration by terrorists from these areas, increasing criminal activities in the locality have left people here worried and in panic,” pointed out social worker Chintamani Das. He added that staff must immediately be deployed in these towers.
Chudamani Trawler Owners’ Association president Sasikant Nayak said the watch towers are far from the objectives for which they have been constructed. “Only when they turn functional the panic among the people will dissipate,” said Nayak.
PNN
