Ahead of monsoon, weak embankments add to jitters

Kendrapada: With the monsoon hitting Kerala on its normal day of onset on Monday, panic has gripped riverside villages living with damaged river embankments that may give away in case of floods.
Many riverside villages face the onslaught of floodwaters every year during the monsoon. The rivers devour large chunks of agricultural land causing huge losses to farmers.
“The irrigation department is yet to repair the river embankments in Aul, Rajkanika, Rajnagar and Mahakalapada areas.The fate of riverside villages is now at stake,” alleged Alekha Jena, a BJP leader and the former MLA of Rajnagar.
During the last election, politicians assured to stonepack the river embankments at Gobindapur village. “They have failed to keep their promise. We are now worried,” said Gajendra Parida of Gobindapur under Aul block.
Many farmers in the riverside villages have been losing their land, houses and orchards with the river Brahmani marching towards the villages due to non-construction stonepack embankments, said Ratnakar Patra of Manikapatana village.
The river Brahmani, Kharosotra and Kani have already devoured large tracts of land and houses of many villagers of Patrapur, Narendrapur, Manikapatana, Badambila, Atala, Kolidiha, Jamudanda, Bijayanagar, Diniari, Ichapur, Taladiha, Badambila, Dasipur, Narendrapur, Padanipala, Gobindapur and other villages and displaced around 400 families.
“The Kani consumed my land five years ago. Now I am landless. My two sons are working as plumbers in Hyderabad. They returned last month due to the lockdown. It is high time that the authorities build concrete embankments to check the river during the rainy season,” said Ranjan Samal of Ichapur village.
The river has already eroded agriculture land in Narendrapur village. “Many houses and the village temple will be wiped out by the river as they are just 50 metres away from the river,” said Bijay Biswal of Narendrapur.
On Monday, the district administration organised a meeting on natural calamity to chalk out plans to repair the river embankments and to protect the riverside villagers during flood. “All the river embankments will be repaired soon,” said collector (Kendrapada) Samarth Verma.