PARADIP: Panic gripped residents of Nehru Bangla area in Paradip after the marching sea waves created a five feet deep and 150-200 metre long erosion near the mouth of Mahanadi river on Friday.Sources said the situation is grim since the last two days. However, neither the district administration nor Paradip Port Authority (PPA) has taken any permanent measure for protection of the embankment. The rough sea has meanwhile crossed the stone-packed embankment and entered into different parts of Nehru Bangla.
As there is a tourist spot near the Mahanadi river mouth at Nehru Bangla, hundreds of people throng the area on a daily basis. Since last two days, the sea water has entered the Manmada Garden area after which boating activities are completely paralysed. Besides, around 30 to 40 trees in the area have uprooted and the concrete wall erected by the Paradip Municipality has also crumbled owing the situation.
Locals alleged the stone-packed embankment and the concrete wall was erected by the Paradip municipality last year for protection of the park and garden but they got damaged within a year due to substandard work. “The area is prone to soil erosion but neither the district administration nor the PPA takes steps to prevent entry of tidal waves into the area,” they rued.
Chairman of Paradip municipality Basant Kumar Biswal said the civic body had constructed a canteen in the area for the tourists but it is now at risk of collapsing since the waves could eat it away any moment.
Contacted, additional district magistrate of Paradip Lagnajit Rout said he visited the area on the day along with Biswal to take stock of the situation. “The district administration will soon seek intervention of the PPA to take a permanent measure for protection of the embankment near Mahanadi river mouth,” he added.