Gobari canal in Kendrapara district.(File Photo)
KENDRAPARA: Renovation of the century-old Gobari canal in Kendrapara town has come to a grinding halt after locals opposed the work demanding construction of drains on both sides of the canal for releasing effluent.
Sources said the state government had granted Rs 26.2 crore to the Water Resource department in 2021 for renovating three kilometre stretch of Gobari canal under Canal Lining and System Rehabilitation Programme. “Around two months back, we began the restoration work with construction of retaining walls on both sides of the canal to stop locals from dumping garbage into the water body. But they opposed and subsequently, the work was stopped,” said executive engineer (EE) of Kendrapara irrigation division Umesh Sethi.
Now the canal is covered with weeds and looks like a drain. The authorities concerned should arrest the persons who have been releasing sewage and other garbage into it, Sethi added.“We will soon resume the work. We will renovate around 3 km of the water body in the first phase,” the EE said.
