Sea water enters farmland after tidal surge in Kendrapada | Bhubaneswar News
Kendrapada: Coastal villages in Kendrapada district are reeling under the impact of a severe tidal surge triggered by depression over the Bay of Bengal, accompanied by four days of incessant rain and gusty winds.The sea water intrusion has damaged thousands of acres of agricultural land, devastating standing summer paddy crops across multiple villages, including Lanchuda, Akhadasala, Tantiapala, Batighar, and Badatubi.“Tidal waves breached the weak saline embankment at four points on Thursday, flooding our entire village,” said Bichitrananda Behera, 55, a farmer from Langudi village. Local residents blame sub-standard repair work for damage to the embankments.The administration has issued warnings to fishermen against venturing into the sea. According to Sahadev Mandal of Batighar village, around 3,000 acres of agricultural land have been affected by the seawater ingress.Umesh Chandra Singh, president of Krushak Sabha, district unit, expressed concern over the fate of paddy farmers and vegetable growers in the coastal areas. “The tidal damage has severely impacted their crops, putting their livelihoods at stake,” he said.Former MLA Kishor Tarei highlighted the deteriorating infrastructure noting that around 50 sluice gates and major portions of saline embankments in Rajnagar and Mahakalapada blocks are on the verge of collapse.The continuous downpour has disrupted life in urban areas too. Several localities in Kendrapara town, including Fakirabad, Ranapada, and Dilarapur, are waterlogged. There is knee-deep water in many by-lanes of Pattamundai, Marsaghai and Rajkanika.Additional district magistrate Nilu Mohapatra told reporters that block development officers have been directed to submit detailed reports about the saline ingress. “Appropriate measures will be taken to assist affected residents once we receive these reports,” he said.
