BHADRAK: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday visited the Dhamnagar block to see the Sailo embankment that had breached due to flood in Kochila river, a tributary of Baitarani, recently.Accompanied by his officers, Naveen flew in directly to Sailo where a 300 metre breach had occurred. He assured to give special attention to Dhamnagar block as far as repair and restoration works are concerned.“There is heavy loss in Bhadrak district due to the recent flood but the situation of Dhamnagar block is a matter of concern,” said the Chief Minister. At Naveen’s arrival, around 3000 flood victims of eight panchayats, who had gathered at Sailo, waived placards stating their plight. They demanded a permanent solution to the flood which have become a regular affair in the block. Local MLA Rajendra Das handed over a memorandum to the Chief Minister demanding construction of an anecut (small dam) at the mouth of Kochila. Tourism Minister Prafulla Samal accompanied Naveen.Over 40,000 people of eight panchayats - Arjunpur, Nadigan, Padhani, Bhatasahi, Dhusuri, Bayang, Raipur and Palsahi - have been affected due to the 300-metre-long breach. A total of eight breaches had occurred due to flood in Baitarani in Dhamnagar. Over 75 per cent houses were damaged and two persons died.No Permanent Solution for Flood Yet A permanent solution to the recurring flood in river Baitarini seems far from becoming a reality with the government not taking adequate remedial measures.Every year during the rainy season, the Baitarani creates havoc in three districts of Bhadrak, Keonjhar and Jajpur.In Bhadrak this time, sand-casting in the riverbed led to breaches in its embankments. The strength of left Test Relief Embankment (TRE) gradually turned weak and the district witnessed three floods this year.In 1958, the then executive engineer S C Tripathy had prepared a multi-purpose project on Baitarani named Vimkund dam project under the supervision of M S Trimule, the then Chief Engineer, Irrigation Department.As per the report, a dam was to be built at Nuapada with the capacity to generate electricity and irrigate lands besides controlling floods. The cost of the project was then estimated at `61.73 crore. For two decades, the project report could not be submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC). And, when the report was finally sent to CWC in 1974 with a fresh estimate of `153.20 crore, the CWC rejected it and suggested selection of another site for the dam.The second site was also not accepted by the CWC in 1984 on the ground that it would not be ‘fruitful’ and the search for an ideal site further delayed the project.Under pressure from locals, the Central Planning Unit of the State Government again prepared a project report in 1987 with an estimated cost of `1900 crore but this too was bogged down by red-tapism.The river system mostly affects 62 panchayats in Bhandaripokhari, five in Basudevpur and four in Bhadrak block. According to official reports, over `5,500 crore have been spent by the State Government in rescue and relief operations during the last 15 years. The Vimkund dam project would have cost less had it been executed, said members of Dhamnghar Bikash Mancha.
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