Left out Satabhaya villagers to be relocated at Bagapatia by August

 KENDRAPARA: Around 247 sea-erosion hit families of Satabhaya Gram Panchayat in Kendrapara district awaiting rehabilitation are a relieved lot after being assured that they will be shifted to the rehabilitation colony in Bagapatia by August this year. Bagapatia is 12 km away from the sea.In 2018 , the government rehabilitated 577 displaced families at the same place. 

Earlier, the Division Bench of the Orissa High Court comprising Justice Biswajit Mohanty and Justice BP Satapathy, acting on a petition of Bishnu Charan Behera and other  displaced persons, on May 20, 2022, had stated that the Tehsildar of Rajnagar, Bholanath Sethy filed an affidavit on May 19 clarifying that all required steps shall be taken to demarcate and allot the lands in favour of affected families in three months. Sethy accepted delay in case of the 247 displaced families.  The case will next be heard on August 30, 2022, said Mahadev Mishra, the lawyer of the petitioners.  

“Many villagers of Satabhaya have been rehabilitated at Bagapatia since four years but I am yet to get a land and living with the fear of the sea. I hope the district administration rehabilitates us soon,” said Bishucharana Behera (52) of Satabhaya, one of the petitioners of the case in the High Court. Another 60-year-old petitioner Maheswar Behera of Satabhaya echoed same sentiments. 

The 17-km stretch of  the beach at Satabhaya under Rajnagar block is said to be the fastest-eroding beach on Odisha coast. More than 1,000 homes and large tracts of agricultural land have been wiped out by rising sea levels in last 40 years.