Hundreds of local people, including farmers and fishermen, of Matikhallo and Kanamana villages located in the saline zone of Ganjam district have expressed their deep resentment over the inaction of the administration leading to the closure of the heritage water channel Tamapara, which has shattered their livelihoods.
The important British-time canal connecting river Rushikulya through 500 hectare of water body, locally known as Tamapara, is currently nonexistent due to an apathetic attitude of the local administration resulting in the closure of the canal that passed through NH-5 (now NH-217) and Chhatrapur town, the headquarters of Ganjam district.
The tail-end of the 15-Distributory Canal of the Rushikulya system used to carry the surplus water of the Rushikulya system by filling several important water bodies and tanks at Matikhallo and Kanamana and irrigate about 500 hectare of land in adjacent areas in Kharif season. Thereafter, the water channel was merged in a water body of 500 hectare from where a surplus water channel extends to the Rushikulya located at a distance of 3 km.
These water bodies were also supplementing drinking water to the villages as well as to Chhatrapur town. The Tamapara was also used for pisciculture from where different quality species of sweet prawn and other fishes used to provide livelihood to about 500 fishermen of Tarai Patpur village.
Advocate and social worker Dharama Reddy has submitted a memorandum to the Ganjam Collector demanding an early revival of the water channel and demolition of the building that obstruct the channel.
It may be recalled that senior BJP leader Rama Chandra Panda during his tenure as local MlA had demanded making Tamapara a tourist destination and a centre of water sports, which is reportedly under consideration of the Government.