BALASORE: After a delay of over two years, the border dispute between Odisha and West Bengal (WB) over sand mining from river Subarnarekha in Balasore district may finally be resolved with Odisha Space Applications Centre (ORSAC) gearing up for final digital survey after a recent joint border demarcation survey in the last week of December 2020.
As per demarcation survey, as many as 36 poles were installed in 12 disputed villages of Jaleswar tehsil in Balasore by revenue officials from both sides. According to sources, territorial conflict between Jaleswar tehsil in Balasore district and Dantul tehsil in WB’s Paschim Medinipur district dates back to 1926 over rampant sand mining by the latter from river Subarnarekha in Odisha.
While the issue raged on over the years, it intensified in 2016 prompting social activist and Congress leader Sudarsan Das to petition the National Green Tribunal in the same year. Two years later, the NGT directed both Odisha and WB governments to take immediate measures for a clear delineation of the inter-state boundary. But there was no headway in the exercise since 2018 until both the parties met at Dantun (WB) in September last year and ORSAC intervened for a survey.
As per reports, both states exchanged respective maps to ascertain the boundary at the meeting. Subsequently, revenue officials from Paschim Medinipur and Balasore met in December last year and decided to jointly demarcate the border land. Over a week-long drive, 36 poles were planted along bordering villages - 4 near Mankidia village, 6 at Kuanarpur, 3 at Bilaspur, 3 at Gopalpur, 4 at Totapada, 3 at Beherasahi, 2 at Praharajpur, 3 at South Praharajpur, 2 at Makarampur, 3 at Gobarghata, 2 at Khudiamajhisahi and 1 at Mundakatia.
Jaleswar Tehsildar Khirod Kumar Panda said ORSAC, as per NGT direction, initially conducted a digital satellite survey of the inter-state boundary in September. The final verification will be done after ORSAC conducts another formal survey and approves it. “We have already put poles at the boundary of the two states. ORSAC will verify the boundary again through digital survey and then approve it,” Panda said.