Illegal Barricade Removed from Kaduua River Following District Collector’s Directive
Kakatpur | Date: 30/08/2024
Report by: Tushar Dixit
For a long time, certain influential individuals had been illegally erecting barricades (aadibandh) in the Kaduua River to fish and profit unlawfully. As a result, during the monsoon season, rainwater could not flow freely through the river, causing severe waterlogging. This led to the submergence of thousands of hectares of paddy fields in villages such as Bobua, Santarasa, and Dhanitri under Kaduuanua village panchayat in Kakatpur block.
Despite repeated complaints by local farmers to remove the illegal barricades, no action had been taken until recently. However, during a public grievance hearing camp organized by the District Collector on the 27th of this month at the Kakatpur Block Office, a formal complaint was submitted to the Collector by Kailash Chandra Lenka, former Sarpanch Bhimasen Sethi, Ramesh Chandra Paital, Akshaya Kumar Swain, Jnanaranjan Mall, and Janmejaya Lenka, among others, demanding the immediate removal of the unauthorized structure.
Taking the complaint seriously, Puri District Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain immediately directed the Kakatpur Tahasildar during the hearing to remove the illegal barricade from the Kaduua River. Within 48 hours of the directive, on Thursday, Tahasildar Ankita Anindita, accompanied by police forces, successfully removed the structure.
The swift action taken by the District Collector has been welcomed and appreciated by the farming community, while local administrative officials, especially the Tahasildar, have received widespread gratitude from various quarters.
