BALASORE: Illegal lifting of sand from Subarnarekha river bed near Jaleswar town has emerged as a major cause of concern for the locals.Sand mafia from West Bengal are engaged in lifting sand from the river bed even as the district administration remains a mute spectator, sources said. Even as the border dispute with West Bengal, which recently had installed an information board near Udaypur in Bhograi block, is yet to be sorted out, various outfits in the district at a conference on ‘Past, Present and Future of Subarnarekha’ held at Jaleswar recently, expressed concern over the fate of the river and the future of the villages in the border.
Political leaders, intellectuals, social activists, members of Utkala Sammilani of Jaleswar branch and Mahanadi Bachao Andolan deliberated on issues related to the river and stressed on the need for executing the ‘Subarnarekha Sanskar’ project.“If the project is executed, it will safeguard the interests of people residing in the border villages of the district and also protect the river from mafia”, they said. Adaita Kumar Patra, State president and Srikanta Charan Patra, president of Utkala Sammilani, Jaleswar branch accused the State and Central governments of being callous towards executing the ambitious river renovation project.
Former legislator of Bhograi Susanta Kumar Chand said the tributaries and distributaries of the river need to be renovated. He said if Subarnarekha river dries up, the region will have to face ingress of sea water which will affect agriculture and human habitations.
The intellectuals further said the West Bengal Government has been trying to encroach upon bordering villages like Sahabajipur and Udaypur under Bhograi block even as several border villages of Odisha have already been made part of West Bengal. They urged the administration to save these villages. Utkal Smmilani, NGOs and locals warned of an agitation in the coming days if no steps are taken in this regard.