PURI: Residents, religious institutions and NGOs are opposing the construction of a fish landing jetty near Swargadwar.
The locals said construction of the jetty over a vast area near Swargadwar would reduce the length and breadth of the beach.
Around six km area of the beach from Swargadwar to Chakratirth is considered ‘Mahodadhi Tirtha’. Hindus perform the last rites of their loved ones on the beach. Devotees consider Swargadwar as a sacred place.
Odisha Beach Protection Council president Jagannath Bastia urged the authorities concerned to shift the fish landing jetty to Pentakota fishermen’s colony. Bastia said the contractor, engaged in the construction, informed him that the fish jetty would be 110 metre long and 40 metre wide. The state coastal regulation zone authority has permitted the construction, informed the contractor.
However, Bastia pointed out permission from the Puri Konark Development Authority was not taken for the project. “The permanent construction will destroy the scenic beauty of the beach and its surroundings,” he said.
The state government’s beach tourism initiative will suffer a setback as the fishing jetty is proposed to constructed at the centre of the beach Bastia said. The beach protection council and other NGOs have suggested shifting the project from Swargadwar to Sipasarubali or Pentakota.
Bastia warned if the administration did not listen to the plea, legal proceedings under the Environment Protection Act would be initiated against the contractor and the authorities concerned. Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said he asked the deputy collector to inquire into the complaints received from various quarters and submit a report.