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States » EastPosted at: May 5 2025 9:06PM


Frequent tidal ingress threatens coastal villages in Kendrapara

Kendrapara, May 5 (UNI) The frequent ingress of tidal waves into seaside villages in Odisha’s coastal Kendrapara district has emerged as a serious threat to both life and property, local residents have reported.
According to villagers, the tidal waves are destroying farmlands, damaging roads, and eroding building foundations. They claim that the waves have assumed alarming proportions, significantly disrupting agriculture—the primary source of livelihood in the region.
Residents warn that unless the embankments are urgently reinforced, the damage could worsen in the near future. The threat spans from Talachua panchayat in Rajnagar block to Batighar panchayat in Mahakalapada block.
Several areas, including Gajaria, Utikana, Keradagada, Padmanavapur, Gopalpur, Rajgarh, Gadadharpur, and Baragaon, are already facing similar threats.
During full moon and new moon phases, high tidal surges cause seawater to breach embankments and flow into villages, particularly affecting the banks of the Brahmani, Kharasrota, Gobari, and Hansua rivers. As a result, various crop varieties are being destroyed by saline water intrusion.
In response to the growing threat, the Odisha government had established a Coastal Embankment Department office in Aul in 2004. This office was tasked with protecting coastal embankments across the Aul, Rajkanika, Rajnagar, and Mahakalapada blocks.
A joint administrative survey was conducted in April 2022 to assess the impact of natural calamities on human settlements in the affected areas. The survey team included the then district collector, departmental officials, tehsildars, and block development officers (BDOs).
However, despite the findings, no significant steps have been taken to strengthen the coastline.
Environmental expert Ganesh Samal and rights activist Sagar Jena emphasized that the Coastal Embankment Division is responsible for maintaining a total of 744.47 kilometers of embankment: 111.53 km in Aul, 237.62 km in Mahakalapada, 302.12 km in Rajnagar, and 93.20 km in Rajkanika sub-divisions.
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