May 31st 2024.
The district of Kendrapara has been facing a pressing issue as of late - the frequent ingress of tidal waves in seaside villages. These powerful waves have been causing significant damage to the lives and properties of the residents, destroying farmlands and harming buildings and roads. According to locals, unless the embankments are strengthened, the situation will only worsen in the future. This threat extends from Talachua panchayat in Rajnagar block to Batighar panchayat of Mahakalapada block, affecting the livelihoods of the people who rely on agriculture for income.
The situation is not any different for the villages of Gajaria, Utikana, Keradagada, Padmanavapur, Gopalpur, Rajgarh, Gadadharpur, and Baragaon. The tidal waves have become so severe that they may even destroy the geo-tube wall built at Pentha coast under Mahakalapada sub-division. Locals have reported that at times, the waves can reach up to 40 meters above the embankments and surge into the villages. The embankments of Brahmani, Kharasrota, Gobari, and Hansua rivers have also been affected by the saline water of the tidal waves, causing further damage.
The residents of some areas have shared their harrowing experience of the last full moon day when the Patasala river swelled up and overflowed due to the tidal waves. This resulted in the destruction of various crops, leaving the farmers devastated. In 2004, the Odisha government established an office of the Coastal Embankment department in Aul with the aim of protecting the 744.47 km-long coastal embankment spread across Aul, Rajkanika, Rajnagar, and Mahakalapada blocks. In April 2022, a joint administrative survey was conducted, involving the district collector, departmental officials, tehsildars, and BDOs, to assess the threats posed by natural calamities and their impact on human habitats in these areas. A detailed report was prepared, but unfortunately, no action has been taken to strengthen the coastline despite being aware of the potential dangers.
Sources reveal that the lack of action is due to the apathy of officials who are allegedly involved in corrupt practices. It is believed that the funds allocated for various projects have been misused for personal gain. Basant Kumar Hati from Rajnagar, Subhashis Sarangi of Rajkanika, Sunil Kumar Gantayat from Mahakalapada, along with environmentalists Hemant Kumar Rout and Radhakant Mohanty, have raised their concerns about the issue. They have pointed out that the office of the Coastal Embankment division in Aul, which has been functioning since October 2004, is responsible for maintaining the 111.53 km-long coastal embankment in Aul sub-division, 237.62 km embankment in Mahakalapada, 302.12 km embankment in Rajnagar, and 93.20 km embankment in Rajkanika sub-divisions.
When contacted, Subrat Das, the superintendent engineer of the Coastal Embankment division, acknowledged that the tidal waves have become a threat due to climate change. He also mentioned that various projects have been undertaken to increase the heights of the embankments by four to six meters, in hopes of mitigating the damage caused by the relentless tidal waves.
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