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Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Riverside villagers demand repair of embankments before monsoon
Kendrapada: With monsoon approaching, residents of riverside villages in Kendrapada district are concerned over the deteriorating condition of embankments, which they claimed have not been repaired despite appeals to authorities. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The 25-km stretch along the Luna-Chitrotpala river island, covering several gram panchayats including Bangalpur, Indalo, Jalapok, Mehindinagar, Aitipur and Basapur, is particularly vulnerable due to poor maintenance work. "Unsafe river embankments are prone to breaches during high flood. The govt must act quickly to strengthen the structures before the rainy season," said Manas Dalei of Basapur village. Two years ago, Singhgaon and Nimpur villages suffered flooding due to breaches in weak embankments. "Substandard repair work has left us vulnerable. We're extremely worried as rivers swell dramatically during monsoon," said Ranjan Rout, a Nimpur resident. Umesh Chandra Singh, president of the district Krushak Sabha, pointed out that authorities have consistently missed deadlines for repairs, leading to panic among residents in flood-prone areas. In Bajapur village, promises of stone embankment construction are unfulfilled. "Authorities assured us of protection last year, but nothing has been done yet," said Balabhadra Rout, a resident. Responding to the concerns, additional district magistrate Nilu Mohapatra said the water resources department has been directed to repair all weak embankments before monsoon arrives. Umesh Sethi, superintending engineer of the department, assured that action is being taken. "We have undertaken repair work covering around 100 km at a cost of Rs 40 crore. The project includes raising, strengthening and constructing new embankments where needed. All work will be completed before monsoon," he said. "Officials are paying only lip service to our problems," claimed Harekrushna Rout of Singhgaon, where residents recently demanded an inspection of the embankments to assess their safety.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Paddy seed shortage affects Kendrapada farmers
Kendrapada: Farmers in Kendrapada district are facing an acute shortage of high-yielding paddy seeds this kharif season , forcing many to turn to expensive alternatives in the market. The district administration, which plans to cultivate paddy on 1,24,600 hectares of land, requires around 5,000 quintals of seeds. However, the agriculture department has received only 2,610 quintals from the Odisha Seed Corporation (OSC), leaving a significant supply gap. "The scarcity has pushed farmers to purchase sub-standard seeds at inflated prices of Rs 4,500-5,000 per quintal, compared to the official rate of Rs 4,115," said Bijaya Patra, a farmer from Shyamasundarpur village. Popular varieties like Puja, Sarala, Swarna Sub-1, Sabitri and Lunishree are particularly scarce. Umesh Chandra Singh, president of the district unit of Krushak Sabha, highlighted that riverside villages desperately need flood-tolerant Swarna Sub-1, while coastal farmers require saline-tolerant varieties like Sabitri and Lunishree. Chief district agriculture officer Kamalakanta Panigrahi assured that additional seeds would be available once monsoon arrives. "We are distributing seeds through 118 primary cooperative societies and encouraging farmers to consider alternative varieties," he said. The shortage has affected around 3.6 lakh farming families in the district who began cultivation after Aksahya Tritiya on April 30. Farmer leaders have accused the govt of inaction and alleged an unholy nexus between seed traders and agricultural officials, leading to artificial price rise in the market.
