Kendrapara: Embankments along seven rivers and 27 branch canals in Kendrapara are unsafe during a survey of various river embankments in the district conducted by the Water Resources department, last week. Moreover, the survey – which was carried out to access the present situation and identify vulnerable areas ahead of monsoon – also found that stone packing on several parts of the saltwater embankments has collapsed. The findings in the survey have prompted locals to demanded immediate repairs before the monsoon. According to farmer leader Bidhu Bhushan Mahapatra, rivers such as Kani, Kharasrota, and Brahmani surround 10 panchayats in Aul block, including Gobindpur, Dimiripal, Petapada, Sansidha, Eradang, Desahi, Palami, and Ketuapal. The villages of Balakati, Koladiha, and Mahu are facing severe erosion by the Kharasrota river, he said. Despite stone packing being carried out along various embankments, such as – from Chunabandha to Sanaanko, Patrapur to Gopalpur, and Tunga to Baulajodi – their condition remains vulnerable. The problem is not confined to Aul block alone. Canal embankments across the district are in poor condition, causing anxiety among local residents and damaging crops. Annual flooding in these rivers disrupts the lives of residents in 55 panchayats in the district’s coastal areas. The crumbling stone packing on the saltwater embankments has heightened fears of sea intrusion. Residents are demanding that all river and canal embankment repairs be completed by May. Local intellectual Prashant Kumar Nayak stated that Kendrapara district has two divisions of the Water Resources department, along with the Aul Embankment Office that are responsible for managing the district’s rivers and canals. “Additionally, the office is accountable for safeguarding the district’s 48-km-long coastline,” he said. However, despite the existence of these departments, water management for agriculture remains a major concern. Every year, the fear of floods haunts the 55 panchayats in the district “Embankment reinforcement works could be carried out during seasons other than monsoon.
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