Mahanadi, Gobari rivers face ecological crisis amid encroachment

Rampant encroachment, indiscriminate waste dumping, and prolonged administrative neglect have pushed the Mahanadi river and its tributary, the Gobari, into severe ecological decline in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, environmental experts and activists alleged 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.

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Speakers alleged that influential persons had encroached upon riverbeds and adjoining land for construction, significantly reducing the rivers’ width at several places. Unchecked waste dumping and excessive growth of aquatic weeds have obstructed the natural water flow, triggering frequent flooding and environmental degradation, they said.

Former principal of Kendrapara Autonomous College, Nanda Kishor Parida, said reduced water flow has adversely 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 have declined as rivers and connected canals continue to dry up.

Former Kendrapara municipality chairman Dhiren Sahoo said the Gobari, once the lifeline of hundreds of villages and an important navigation route, is now on the verge of ecological collapse due to official apathy. He called for immediate dredging and removal of aquatic weeds, alleging that repeated appeals to the authorities have gone unheeded.

Former municipality chairman Akbar Ali said the polluted and clogged river has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and disease-causing bacteria, leading to a rise in skin diseases, diarrhoea and jaundice among nearby residents.

Retired engineer Biswanath Behera also expressed concern over increasing crocodile attacks in riverside villages, claiming around 30 people have died in the past four years as crocodiles have spread beyond the Bhitarkanika region into rivers and creeks, posing a growing threat to farmers and fishermen.

The meeting was also attended by Sandeep Patnaik, Tapan Padhi, Abhilas Roul, Suvashree Panda and other participants.