Neglect, dumping of waste choking Mahanadi, Gobari rivers: Experts

Kendrapada: Rampant encroachment, unchecked dumping of waste and prolonged administrative neglect have pushed Mahanadi and its tributary, Gobari, into a state of severe ecological decline in Kendrapada district, environmental experts and activists said at a district-level consultation held here on Sunday.The consultation, titled ‘Mahanadi – Life of Margins’, was organised by the Centre for Justice and Equality, Bhubaneswar, in association with Janamangal Mahila Samiti, Puri.Speakers alleged that influential people had encroached upon stretches of the riverbed and adjoining land to construct houses, reducing the rivers’ width at several places. They also blamed indiscriminate dumping of waste and unchecked growth of aquatic weeds for obstructing the natural flow of water, causing frequent flooding and environmental degradation.

“The rivers have become synonymous with rot, stench and neglect,” the speakers said, adding that large stretches of Gobari have virtually turned into a stagnant drain due to years of inaction.Former principal of Kendrapada Autonomous College, Nanda Kishor Parida, said inadequate water flow has severely affected agriculture and the environment in riverside villages inhabited by nearly three lakh people. Farmers are struggling to irrigate their fields, while fisheries and aquatic biodiversity are rapidly declining as rivers and connected canals continue to dry up.

Former Kendrapada municipality chairman Dhiren Sahoo recalled that Gobari once served as the lifeline to hundreds of villages and was a major navigation route during the erstwhile princely era. “In our childhood, hundreds of fishermen earned their livelihood from the river. Today, it is dying because of administrative apathy,” he said.Sahoo stressed the need for immediate dredging and removal of aquatic weeds, warning that continued neglect could lead to the river’s complete ecological collapse.

Despite repeated representations to the authorities, no concrete maintenance work has been undertaken, he alleged.Former municipality chairman Akbar Ali said the heavily polluted and clogged river has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and disease-causing bacteria, resulting in increased cases of skin ailments, diarrhoea and jaundice in nearby residents. Illegal dumping of large quantities of waste has further choked the river and adjoining canals, he added.Retired engineer Biswanath Behera expressed concern over growing crocodile menace in riverside villages. Around 30 people have lost their lives and many others have been injured in crocodile attacks over the past four years, he said. Once considered an endangered species, crocodiles are now frequently sighted in rivers, creeks and other water bodies far beyond Bhitarkanika region, posing a serious threat to farmers and fishermen.The meeting was also addressed by Sandeep Patnaik, Tapan Padhi, Abhilas Roul, Suvashree Panda and other participants, who urged the state govt to launch immediate restoration and conservation measures to revive Mahanadi and Gobari rivers.