As Jagatsinghpur rivers dry up, locals fear over govt inaction
2 min read By Express News Service
JAGATSINGHPUR: Even as main rivers are drying up and human encroachments are blocking their movement within the district, inaction by the State authorities and district administration to revive them is posing a grave problem to sustainable improvement within the area. As per experiences, the 4 primary rivers within the district together with Mahanadi, Devi, Chitrotopla and Paika are witnessing water movement just for two to a few months through the wet season and are dry for the remainder of the 12 months. Depletion of groundwater stage, disruption in movement as a consequence of development of bridges and barrages and different human encroachments are believed to be contributing elements.
Moreover, many rivers like Hansua, Alaka, Dhanua, Gobari, Budha and Balia are nearly useless. While this phenomenon has ecological repercussions, it has additionally led to speedy considerations like poor crop output and absence of ingesting water. Over the years, it has given strategy to livelihood considerations for individuals who rely upon fishing and farming.
In 2018, locals led by social activist Ratanakar Nayak had demanded eviction of unlawful encroachment of Alaka river from Birabarapatana in Biridi block to Bay of Bengal below Erasama block. They had demanded harvesting of rainwater, measures to rejuvenate the river and forestall additional depletion of groundwater, evicting unlawful constructions from each side of the river and different options to the disaster.
Following the protest, a six-member crew of Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI), Kolkata had visited totally different areas of Biridi block to organize techno-economic feasibility report (TEFR) and detailed mission experiences (DPR) to each Central and State governments for revival of the Alaka river. But, the experiences are but to be submitted.
A 12 months later, the Fisheries Directorate had once more sought the CIFRI’s intervention for a DPR to mitigate the water disaster however the analysis institute is but to provide a response. Meanwhile, in May, the district Fishery workplace had submitted a proposal to the district rural improvement company (DRDA) for utilisation of MGNREGS funds to take appropriate measures to revive water our bodies for pisciculture. District fishery officer Subrat Kumar Das has mentioned, “The department had adopted a mission mode approach to boost fish farming but all projects are on hold as DPRs for rejuvenation of rivers are awaited.”
