Kendrapara, Sept. 2: Tidal waves have made into a seaside gram panchayat of this coastal district inundating at least three hamlets since early this morning.

The affected Batighar gram panchayat has been cut off from rest of the areas as waves have washed away a temporary wooden bridge over Khola water inlet. The tidal ingress has inundated places of habitations and crop fields in Sanatubi, Badatubi and Nipania villages.

Reports reaching here said over 200 hectares of agriculture fields were submerged with tidal waves making inroads while spilling over the saline embankment buffer erected about 20 feet above the coast. About 12,000 villagers were left marooned as their villages continue to remain waterlogged.

Kendrapara collector Pradeepta Kishore Pattnaik said block officials and personnel of saline engineering wing division had been asked to take stock of the situation.

Batighar gram panchayat is being hit frequently by ingress of tidal waves. People here are living under constant threat of the sea.

“Despite repeated pleas, no permanent measure has been taken to stop the recurrence of such nature’s fury. A five-km-long coastal embankment was built about four decades ago to protect the villages. But it is not enough to cope with the sea surge. Unless its length is at least doubled, the existing embankment is inadequate to stop the ingress of tidal waves in future,” said Pushpalata Nayak, sarpanch of Batighar gram panchayat.