Panic gripped the residents of 15 villages of Arakhakuda panchayat in Puri district after the villages were waterlogged after a new natural mouth was formed on Thursday due to high tides and heavy rains under the impact of Cyclone Titli in the Chilika lake.
Villagers alleged that the problem assumed alarming proportions due to rampant cutting down of trees which posed a threat to the embankment. Besides, the protection wall has also sustained damage.
Official sources informed that the Chilika lake had only one active mouth opposite to Nua Patna. The new mouth which had opened near Arakhakuda few weeks back has only widened now due to high tides under the impact of Cyclone Titli .
“Though some people were evacuated and kept at a multi-purpose shelter on Wednesday, they were asked to leave in the morning and even no cooked food was provided,” alleged a local resident.
Puri Collector Jyoti Prakash Das said that due to sudden flow of water from the sea into the Chilika lake such situation cropped up. Once the water level of the lake declines, water from the village would automatically get drained in a natural manner.
“The natural mouth was already present but it has only widened after the saline embankment was damaged. Tehsildar has visited the spot this morning and he has been directed to undertake a joint inspection along with the technical team from Chilika Development Authority (CDA) to further assess the situation and assure people that there is no threat to them,” Das said.