SAMBALPUR: The ongoing redevelopment of a traditional pond at Golgunda village in Burla under Sambalpur Municipal Corporation has sparked concern among the local residents who fear the project could undermine the water body’s longstanding cultural and community significance.
On Friday, villagers submitted separate memorandums to the district collector and the commissioner of Sambalpur Municipal Corporation, expressing strong opposition to the manner in which the pond restoration work near Atal chowk was being carried out.
According to villagers, the water body has been used for various cultural and religious activities for decades, but is now being transformed into a lotus pond under an urban beautification initiative without adequately addressing the needs of the local community.
They said hundreds of residents depend on the pond for traditional practices and community functions. “Once the beautification project is completed, we fear public access to the pond may be severely restricted, affecting long-established customs and daily activities linked to the water body,” said the villagers.
Describing the pond as an integral part of Golgunda’s social and cultural life, the villagers urged the administration to ensure that redevelopment does not hinder community rights. They demanded construction of a bathing ghat for villagers and sought a formal role for the local community in the pond’s upkeep and management.
In their memorandum, the residents maintained that while they are not opposed to restoration or beautification efforts, development should be carried out in a manner that preserves the traditional utility of the pond and safeguards the interests of those who have depended on it for decades.
Meanwhile, as work on the redevelopment project is underway, water from the pond has already been drained out posing inconvenience to the local residents who depend on it for their daily use.
