Panic struck at six sea side villages of Iswarpur gram panchayat under Rajnagar block since Monday as five feet high tidal water from the crocodile infested Patasala river of the Bhitarkanika National Park gushed into the habitations after a breach occurred in the dilapidated Righagada-Julusnagar saline embankment on Sunday near Purusottampur.
Balabhadrapur, Purusottampur, Ajagarpatia, Junusnagar, Rajbijaynagar and Rabaneswar villages were submerged with five feet long tidal water while as many as 200 families were affected. Besides village roads were inundated as three feet long tidal water flowed over several roads. Even, the tidal water entered into the houses of some locals, whereas the houses of Bankesh Hajara and Arabinda Mandal were damaged.
Rajnagar Tehsildar Bhabataran Sahu on Tuesday rushed to the affected villages to take stock of the situation and access the damage. "Though the situation on Tuesday turned a little better, but it remains still grim as the tidal water is yet to recede from the villages completely," informed Sahu.
Notably, on May 27 last, saline water had entered into the villages after a breach occurred near Purusottampur on the Righagada-Junusnagar embankment. Due to the ingress of the saline water, the villagers were forced to remain in tidal water for a week.
When contacted, Aul saline embankment executive engineer Jugala Kishore Tripathy informed, "Rs 35 lakh had been earmarked to strengthen the weak saline embankment. But the locals opposed the department to carry out the repair work demanding to strengthen the weak embankment by packing stone, which would need around Rs 15 crore more. So, the repair work has failed to start till now."