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Bhubaneswar, April 22: The world might be celebrating International Earth Day today but for the fish and other aquatic life in Tubi Gadia, a pond in the Badagada locality under ward No. 41, has turned into a death trap.
Dead fish and snails are often seen floating in the pond’s polluted water.
Local residents allege that the civic authorities have turned a blind eye to the revival of the water body, which is still used by the people for a variety of purposes such as performing religious rituals.
People say the pond has not been cleaned or desilted in the last five years.
“In the past the water body was fed by the surrounding water table. But now the entire area is bustling with buildings and the ground water hardly gets recharged. As a consequence the pond water is getting polluted. Besides, the residents of the area, too, have contributed to the pollution,” said former councillor Abanikanta Patsani.
All the ponds and water bodies in Old Town and the area situated along the Daya West Canal actually lie on a laterite belt where the recharging of ground water is easy. But this benefit is lost without proper desiltation of water bodies.
Besides this, sources say that steps should also be taken for treatment of water and construction of retention walls.
“During my tenure I had given a proposal to the BMC authorities in 2007-08 to revive water bodies such as Tubi Gadia, Nua Pokhari, Gopali Gadia and Bauri Gadia of Badagada. However, except the desilting activity no other renovation work took place,” added Patsani.
Local resident and advocate Samaresh Jena said: “The civic authorities should realise the importance of the water bodies. Now, due to the depleting paddy fields around Badagada we can experience a fall in the ground water table. So if we fail to retain the ancient water sources, then the urbanisation process will be seriously affected in future.”
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| Dead fish on the steps of Tubi Gadia. Telegraph picture |
Social worker, Rajeev Champati has the same complaint. “As local residents, we have taken up occasional cleaning activities of the pond.
However, the civic authorities should do something more so that the pond bed is scientifically cleaned and water treated well. Now, many aquatic animals are not able to survive due to the polluted water.”
Senior BMC officials admitted the revival plan for the pond has been submitted for approval under the additional central assistance scheme. The Rs 20.68-lakh plan will work out a long-term revival strategy for the historic pond.
