Gopalpur: The long-standing demand of people of two coastal villages – Haripur and Markandi in Gopalpur Assembly Constituency in Ganjam district has been fulfilled as the much-awaited river mouth dredging operations began in their villages.
The operations commenced to open the river mouths of Bahada Nalla near Haripur and Bahana Nalla near Markandi to check the formation of sand bars that posed serious problems for the ferrying of jetties by the fishermen.
The dredging operations were inaugurated on the auspicious occasion of Ganseh Chaturthi in the presence of Berhampur MP Chandra Sekhar Sahu; OSD to CM, Dr. Gopabandhu Dash; Ganjam Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida, CDO-cum-EO, ZP, Ganjam Keerthi Vasan V and others.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sanctioned Rs 7 crore for these two vital projects for the improvement to river mouths of Bahada Nalla and Bahana Nalla for the benefit of thousands of fishermen in Rangeilunda block.
It was the long-standing demand of the local fishermen that the river mouths of these two Nallas to be excavated, so that they will have a separate jetty for fishing activities to support their livelihoods.
Due to the constant efforts of Dr. Gopabandhu Dash, the projects got approval of the government.
Earlier, Dr. Dash had visited the coastal villages and held discussions with the locals about the dredging works.
The dredging work, which is said to be the first of its kind in Ganjam district, is being taken up by the Water Resources Department.
The Bahana Nalla, which stretches from Berhampur to the Bay of Bengal, meets the sea through Markandi village in Rangeilunda block. It has become of the cause of sorrow for the fishermen as the mouth of the Nalla have been closed for years. Similar is the condition for Bahada Nalla.
Upon completion, it will immensely benefit the thousands of fishermen of 20 villages of Rangeilunda block. The fishermen will have a proper jetty for keeping their fishing nets, boats and carrying out fishing at the coastline.