February 20th 2025.
The town of Chhatrapur has been facing a major issue lately. The Rushikulya river, which runs through Ganjam district, has been experiencing frequent incursions of seawater. This has resulted in the river becoming saline and has caused significant problems for the surrounding areas. The intrusion of seawater has extended up to 10 km into the coast, causing a disruption in irrigation and drinking water supply for the region.
The increased salinity level of the river has made the water unsuitable for both irrigation and human consumption. This has led to a crisis for the farmers in the area, as their crops are suffering due to the intrusion of seawater. Simanchal Nahak of Rushikulya Rayat Mahasabha expressed his concern for the agricultural sector, stating that the intrusion of seawater into the river has greatly affected irrigation.
The impact of the tidal incursions has been felt in several areas, including Ganjam NAC, Kainchapur, Malad, and Karapada panchayats of Ganjam block, and Potlampur panchayat of Chhatrapur block. It is estimated that at least 10 villages in these regions will bear the brunt of the tidal ingress. The constant intrusion of seawater is also disturbing the region's ecological balance, as highlighted by environmentalist Arun Satapathy and others. They have emphasized the urgency of finding a solution to this issue.
Despite the severity of the situation, the authorities have yet to take any corrective measures. Ajit Kumar Pradhan, the executive engineer of the Irrigation department, explained that the high tidal force is pushing seawater upstream. Additionally, the buildup of silt and sand dunes near the river mouth is obstructing the outflow of saline water. As a result, the brackish water remains in the riverbed longer than usual, seeping into irrigation canals and water supply pipelines.
The gravity of the situation has not gone unnoticed by the local politicians. Chhatrapur MLA Krushna Chandra Nayak has alerted the officials of the Irrigation and Rural Water Supply department about the crisis. Similarly, former deputy speaker Ramachandra Panda has also raised the issue with the chief engineer of the Rural Water Supply department. It is hoped that their efforts will lead to prompt action being taken to resolve this pressing issue.
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