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Works in full swing to save Rayagada from erosion

BERHAMPUR: The first phase of the project to save Rayagada town from severe erosion of Nagavali river would be completed within next two weeks before the onset of monsoon. The engineer-in-chief of the Irrigation Department, Harish Behera along with a high level team of engineers visited the worksite of the project on Sunday.

Speaking to newsmen at Rayagada he expressed his satisfaction over the progress of the project. According to him after the completion of the first phase of the project there would be no threat of erosion of the river on the human habitats of Rayagada town. The second phase of the project, which is aimed at reviving the Hatipathar waterfall on the Nagavali river near Rayagada would start after the monsoon. The Nagavali river flows on the western side of Rayagada town between Hatipathar mountain and another hillock. This river originates from Tinajhola in Kalahandi district and it has a course of 113 kilometres in Orissa. Heavy erosion had changed the course of the river bringing threat to the existence of some areas of the town.

The Hatipathar waterfall was earlier a major tourist spot of the district and its main element, the waterfall had vanished. In 2007 a project was taken up to check erosion of the river near Rayagada town and to revive the Hatipathar waterfall at a cost of around Rs. 25 crore.

As part of the first phase a large boulder in the path of the river near Rayagada town was removed to broaden its course at the point. A spur of 100 meter length and 30 feet width was also constructed on the river near the town to check erosion.

This first phase of the work is in its final stage for which around Rs 7 crore is being spent. The next phase of the project would be started after the monsoon. It is planned to end the second phase of the project before 2009 monsoon to give the waterfall a rebirth.

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