BALASORE: Concerned over the frequent ingression of saline water into large tracts of agricultural land, residents of more than 45 villages in the coastal areas of the district have demanded a 50-km-high protection wall on an off-shore line from Udaipur to Chandipur. They had conducted a signature drive and sent it along with a memorandum to the State Government recently demanding immediate steps in the direction.
The villages under Bhograi, Baliapal, Basta, Balasore Sadar and Remuna blocks in the district bear the brunt of saline water ingression year after year. Battered by cyclones Fani in 2019, Amphan in 2020 and Yaas in 2021, people in these affected areas faced severe economic loss. The saline water weakened embankments and depleting casuarina forests add to their misery.
Subarna Dipa island which was a tourist spot is presently in a state of neglect as high tides have eaten up nearly two km around the spot and around 10 km length of Udaipur-Bichitrapur in Dagara. Since lakhs of casuarina trees too were affected, there was nothing to protect the area from the damage.
A large portion of the casuarina forests are felled by timber mafia in connivance with the forest department, alleged residents of Subarnapur village under Bhograi block Subas Das and Sekh Hamiddin. “Smuggling can be prevented and casuarina forests protected once the forest department and State Government take necessary steps. Earlier lakhs of tourists used to visit Subarna Dipa but lack of maintenance of flora and fauna has reduced the numbers,” they rued.
As per reports, the Balasore irrigation department erected 2.6 km of stone packing embankment at Udaipur and 1.7 km embankment at Chandipur to prevent saline water from entering but experts feel more than 50 km length of a stone packing embankment from Udaipur to Chandipur should immediately be taken up.
Contacted, superintending engineer of Balasore Irrigation Division Pravas Kumar Pradhan said a high-level shoreline from Udaipur to Chandipur via Parikhi, Kasafal, Hanskura, Chaulati, Kritania, and Bahabalpur of around 50 km needs to be built to prevent saline water ingression.
“I have sent a proposal to the Water Resources department for the construction of a high-level off-shore line at an estimate of Rs 3,000 crores. Once approved, it will address the demands of the villagers,” he said.