The Siali tourist complex threatened by sea erosion in Jagatsinghpur district. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Nov. 3: The Orissa government has drawn up a comprehensive blueprint under a World Bank-funded project to arrest the advancing sea along the 9.6km-long vulnerable shoreline at Erasama in Jagatsinghpur.

Since the last two years, scourge of sea erosion has threatened several thickly populated human settlements in Jagatsinghpur. The Siali tourist resort at Erasama block is also under threat because of the sea’s steady march. Nearly 10km-stretch shoreline has been categorised as critically vulnerable patches.

An erosion control project worth Rs 18.6 crore was getting under way under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project, said official sources.

“On the basis of experts’ suggestion, the water resources department has drawn up a blueprint to protect the sea erosion-prone pockets in Jagatsinghpur. The 9.6km-long shoreline is exposed to erosion. The department would put in place breakwater system of sea wall to plug the marauding sea,” said Subrat Das, executive engineer of the Mahanadi (south) division.

“It would be a World Bank-funded project that would be implemented for the first time in this coastal district under the auspices of the cyclone project. Modalities of the project have been worked out. Sanctioned funds have been placed at the special relief commissioner. The project would get under way shortly after the tender bidding process is over,” Das said.

The identified vulnerable 8km-long patches are Patua-Gadaharishpur, Harishpur ghery (east) and Harishpur ghery (west). Moreover, an additional 1.6km-long sea wall was being erected to protect the Siali tourist resort and its adjoining villages, said he.

Earlier, a team of experts headed by engineer in-chief of the Orissa water resources department had inspected the erosion spots. Temporary measures such as, sandbag-filling, to stop the scouring were initiated. The Orissa government has bought the said vulnerable areas under the project.

In past years, danger of sea erosion had been largely felt in Kendrapara. For the Jagatsinghpur residents, it is something new. As the sea crawls towards the Siali tourist complex, fear of displacement haunts about 3,000 residents at seaside Padmapur gram panchayat under Erasama block.

The shoreline in adjoining Kendrapara continues to bear the maximum brunt of devastation wrought by sea with Satabhaya gram panchayat being the ample indicator of it.

The marching sea has already eaten up five hamlets of the gram panchayat while the Orissa government has drawn up a plan to relocate the people from threatened Satabhaya and Kanhupur villages to Bagapatia resettlement colony. The exercise is expected to get under way shortly.

The strategic Pentha embankment under Brahmanasahi gram panchayat, not far off from the Satabhaya, is also battered by intense erosion. The Orissa government has resolved to install geo-tube technology on the embankment to arrest erosion. Any serious damage to Penhta embankment would pave way for sea to spread its wing several thickly populated human settlements under Rajnagar tehsil.