BALANGIR: The recent flood in Balangir town was man-made and Laxmijore nullah was a major reason for the disaster. The district, which was staring at a drought-like situation just a few days back, witnessed unprecedented deluge due to the faulty drainage system, encroachment on water bodies and illegal colonies in low-lying areas.
Locals alleged that check dams on Laxmijore nullah in the town were the main reason behind the flood as they failed to discharge rainwater because of the faulty design. Water couldn’t be released through the check dams on the nullah following which the entire town got flooded, said Hemanta Panda, a resident of Tikrapara area.
The nullah, which begins at Gandhrel, covers the entire town and carries the town’s drain water into the river. Last year, the Minor Irrigation department had taken up check dam and beautification works of the nullah at an estimated cost of `20 crore as a flood control measure. But the officials had engaged some petty contractors having no work experience leading to the faulty design. They even didn’t follow the guidelines specified by the Special Relief Commissioner for flood control.
Earlier, there were only two check dams on the nullah and after renovation, they were increased to seven. While the entire nullah was covered by guard walls, it was squeezed to three feet at some points, thanks to the mushrooming encroachments. Due to the faulty design of drains, rainwater failed to reach the nullah and entered houses, they alleged.
During the flood, the stormwater was running four to five feet above the bridge at Bramhinpara. Flood waters in Tel, Lanth and Rahul rivers were flowing above the danger mark causing water to gush into residential areas and farmland. Officials were forced to break the embankment of an irrigation project over Laxmijore near Rajendrapara to discharge floodwater. More than 50,000 people were affected by the flood.
Executive Engineer of Minor Irrigation Bijaya Parida, however, refuted the allegations and said flood control measure and beautification work in Laxmijore nullah were carried out properly. The width of the nullah was also maintained accordingly, he added.