JAJPUR,08/09(PPT): The breach in the embankment of the Kani river at Dovabil Patana in Jajpur district was plugged on Tuesday after sustained efforts by the Water Resources Department, bringing relief to residents of the Dasarathpur area.
The breach was closed by driving wooden stakes into the embankment and placing sandbags along the damaged stretch, effectively stopping the flow of water through the opening. Department officials said additional sandbags would be placed over the repaired section on Wednesday to raise and strengthen the embankment.
Water Resources Department Superintending Engineer Ratnakar Dalai personally supervised the repair work at the breach site. Mr. Dalai remained in the floodwater for nearly three hours, from 9 a.m. to noon, overseeing the operation and helping workers drive in the wooden stakes.
The breach had posed a serious challenge to the flood-prone Dasarathpur block, where repeated flooding of the Baitarani river had resulted in five breaches at different locations. Two breaches were reported on the Jayantara Mahapatrasahi ring embankment along the Baitarani, while two occurred on the Kani, a tributary of the Baitarani, near Dovabil Patana under Tarpada panchayat. Another breach was reported at Kantapada.
The repeated breaches led to more than seven rounds of flooding in parts of Dasarathpur, inundating several villages and affecting residents. The plugging of the Dovabil Patana breach has now brought some respite to the affected communities, even as officials continue efforts to strengthen the repaired embankment.