Coastal villagers in Kendrapara dwell in dread of advancing sea

Kendrapara: Frequent ingress of tidal waves into seaside villages in coastal Kendrapara district has emerged as a serious threat to both life and property, residents said.

According to villagers, the tidal waves are destroying farmlands, damaging roads, and eroding building foundations. They claim that the waves have assumed alarming proportions, significantly disrupting agriculture, the primary source of livelihood in the region. Residents warn that unless the embankments are urgently reinforced, the damage could worsen shortly. The threat spans from Talachua panchayat in Rajnagar block to Batighar panchayat in Mahakalapara block in the district. Several areas, including Gajaria, Utikana, Keradagada, Padmanavapur, Gopalpur, Rajgarh, Gadadharpur and Baragaon, are already facing similar threats. During full moon and new moon phases, high tidal surges cause seawater to breach embankments and flow into villages, particularly affecting the banks of the Brahmani, Kharasrota, Gobari, and Hansua rivers. As a result, various crop varieties are being destroyed by saline water intrusion. In response to the growing threat, the state government had established a Coastal Embankment Division office in Aul in 2004. This office was tasked with protecting coastal embankments across the Aul, Rajkanika, Rajnagar, and Mahakalapara blocks.

A joint administrative survey was conducted in April 2022 to assess the impact of natural calamities on human settlements in the affected areas. The survey team included the then district collector, departmental officials, tehsildars, and block development officers (BDOs). However, despite the findings, no significant steps have been taken to strengthen the coastline. Environmental expert Ganesh Samal and rights activist Sagar Jena emphasised that the Coastal Embankment Division is responsible for maintaining a total of 744.47 km of embankment: 111.53 km in Aul, 237.62 km in Mahakalapara, 302.12 km in Rajnagar, and 93.20 km in Rajkanika subdivisions.

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