KENDRAPARA: Residents of many seaside villages in Mahakalapada blocked the Kharinasi-Ramanagar main road here on Monday demanding closure of illegal prawn gheris in the area.
They alleged that unchecked growth of prawn farms had rendered useless around 3000 hectares of fertile land in Ramanagar, Kharinasi, Batighar, Kansarbadadandua, Suniti, Jamboo, Tubi and other nearby villages.
They blamed the release of untreated effluent from the gheris into farms lands for the problem.
“Prawn farm owners also dump effluent of their gheris into the nearby rivers and ponds. They also pollute the groundwater sources in the villages. Despite our several missives to the district administration to dismantle the illegal gheris, no action has been taken in this regard so far,” said Milan Biswas of Kharinasi village.
Besides, influential persons have managed to convert large tracts of government and forest land into prawn farms illegally.
“We were forced to take to the streets as the district administration failed to act against the illegal gheris and their owners,” said Biswas.